The Kiku and the Shinai
by Istoria
Summary: *COMPLETE 7/24* The sword that protects, a motto Kaoru has lived her whole life by. Now after an accident, she meets a man who will test everything she stands for. Waffiness and adventure abound, canon pairs will make appearances, PROMISE!
1. Prologue : The Storm

Prologue  
  
  
  
Kaoru stopped to catch her breath and remove the pebble that had been in her shoe for the past three hours. She let her bag fall off her back and onto the ground, letting out a grateful sigh as it did. Sitting on the ground, she worked the sandal off and found the troublesome rock. With a small cry she threw it as far as she could, trying to find satisfaction in doing so.  
  
But she was satisfied. She wasn't happy. She was extremely angry.  
  
A month ago, Kenshin and Sano left on a job that was suppose to take them 'a couple of days', according to Sano. Three weeks after without so much as a rumor in Tokyo of their whereabouts and Kaoru was beyond her normal state of worry.  
  
She smiled remember how much Megumi scolded her when she had to come to fix the mess Kaoru had caused. As if policemen weren't used to a little beating. Besides, it was their own fault for not answering her questions.  
  
Megumi had convinced them not to arrest Kaoru on the spot and offered them treatment free of charge. Somehow, during treating them Megumi had managed to find out where the police had sent Kenshin and Sano this time. How she managed that, Kaoru didn't want to know.  
  
It was strange to see Megumi concerned. But a month behind schedule had managed to get through even her iron-tough exterior. Of course, there was no telling whom she was worried about, but Kaoru hoped it was more Sano then Kenshin. As if she didn't have enough problems with Kenshin without the fox woman competing with her.  
  
Kaoru sighed. Stupid Kenshin. Making her come all this way because he couldn't pick up a lousy pen and write a message. Didn't he know how much she worried about him?  
  
Kaoru snorted a laugh. Yeah like anything could get through that thickheaded rurouni. Short of wearing a huge sign that said "Hey idiot, I love you", she wasn't sure what else she could do. And maybe that's what worried her the most. She thought she had made her feelings clear. And if that were true, then he wasn't acting on them because he didn't feel the same way.  
  
And who could blame him! she thought with a sigh. All I'm good for it messing things up, always getting in trouble and needing rescue. I'm dead weight for someone like him.  
  
As if to answer her, the skies suddenly opened up and a huge downpour dropped onto her.  
  
"Well that's just GREAT!" she screamed up to the sky, as she gathered her stuff quickly. Standing up, she slipped her sandal back on and started to pick up the pace. She needed to find shelter soon. The wind began to pick up and Kaoru found herself struggling to stand up. The situation was obviously going from bad to worse.  
  
She could hear a torrent of water as she made her way down the path. Oh please, please, don't be what I think it is.  
  
She reached the river a few moments later and groaned at the site. There, swinging back and forth in the wind was a rickety wooden rope bridge.  
  
"We live in the Meiji Era," she said to no one in particular. "Why are all our bridges still made of ROPE AND WOOD!"  
  
She approached the edge of the cliff and looked down. The river was flowing past at an alarming speed. The wind was forcing the bridge to swing back and forth as if taunting her to just try to walk on it. Kaoru steeled herself and focused on the bridge. With all her strength, she lifted one foot and placed it on the bridge.  
  
Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down…  
  
At least this time, there was no Yahiko to jump up and down and make things worse. Though Kaoru wasn't quite sure how it could get worse. By the time she had reached the middle of the bridge, her resolve began to falter. She gripped the ropes with her hands until her knuckles turned white.  
  
You can do this, she told herself. You're almost there.  
  
"I can do this," she said out loud. "I can…"  
  
Her voice was suddenly drowned up. Surprised, Kaoru looked upstream at where the noise was coming from. It sounded like…  
  
A wave of water was rushing down the river. Somewhere upstream, the rain had finally won and now the resulting flash flood was headed straight for her. There was no time to react, no time to run. By the time the coming events had clicked in Kaoru's mind, the wave hit her.  
  
Her hands gripped onto the bridge's rope tightly but it was a lost battle. She felt her bag ripped off her back, her sandals torn off her feet and finally, her hands pried free as the bridge broke under the weight of the water.  
  
With a surprised gasp, Kaoru watched the receding landscape as she was swept away.  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't get why you're so worried," Sano said, hands laced behind his head. "All you got to do is say, 'Look here Kaoru, what men do is men's business'. Then just leave it at that."  
  
Kenshin smiled a bit, imagining the different ways Kaoru would pummel Sano if she heard him say that. "Demo… we said we would be back in a few days."  
  
"And we would have been!" Sano cried. "If the rains didn't start and flood all the roads. Eesh, you're completely whipped and not even getting anything in return."  
  
Kenshin's brows furrowed as he tried to muddle out what Sano had just said. An 'Oro' look began to take over but he never got the chance to say it.  
  
"DAMN IT!" Sano screamed as soon as they reached the cliff.  
  
Kenshin looked over at what his friend was so upset about. The rope bridge that had been there several weeks ago was completely severed.  
  
"That's the third one!" Sano yelled. "At this rate, it'll take us another month to get home."  
  
Kenshin sighed. "Let's just start walking. They'll be another bridge somewhere."  
  
Sano cursed and kicked at the ground as they started to make their way down. Stupid rain. And he just knew the Kaoru was going to blame him for this. Like he was personally responsible for making it rain.  
  
His foot hit something soft and he stopped. Looking down, he realized it was a sandal.  
  
"What's wrong?" Kenshin said turning around when he realized Sano had stopped. Sano knelt down and picked up the sandal. Looking at it, he realized there was something very familiar about it. Kenshin walked up and took it from him.  
  
While Kenshin turned the shoe around in his hand, Sano realized there was more debris down the bank of the stream. He made his way to largest of them all. It looked like a travelling pack.  
  
Carefully he opened it up and examined the things inside. His face fells as he recognized most of the items inside. Turning around, he saw Kenshin hadn't moved and realized that the rurouni had just come to the same conclusion as him. 


	2. Chapter 1 : The Kiku

Author's note: WOW! I posted the prelude this morning just to get a feeler out while I wrote the first chapter and I can't believe there are already two reviews!!  
  
Well, this is the first official chapter. It's my usually length as far as chapters go so I hope you all enjoy it.  
  
Two disclaimers: One, I own none of RK. I do this out of pure joy of writing and a love for the anime series. Two, I am not an English expert. There will be mistakes, please bear with them.  
  
Thanks again!  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 1 : The Kiku  
  
  
  
Sunlight danced on Kaoru's face and in the distance she heard bells. Batting her eyes open, she found herself lying on a futon, covered to the chin with a blanket. She stood up slowly, feeling the blood rush back to her head. She threw a hand up to her pounding forehead and that's when she noticed it.  
  
Looking down, Kaoru found herself in the most beautiful yukata she had ever seen. Oh great, she thought. I'm dead, aren't I?  
  
She stood up and walked towards the wall, carefully sliding the shoji door open. Outside a beautiful garden was bathing in the morning sun. A stone bridge crossed over a huge koi pond. Huge bonsai trees twisted up into the air. Birds danced through the orchids that were in full bloom and past the stone lanterns.  
  
A small girl appeared from the side of the building and froze in shock at seeing Kaoru at the door. "Michi-chan!" the girl yelled. "She woke up!"  
  
"Ah… gomen," Kaoru started, trying to figure out what was going on. Before the girl could answer her, the most beautiful woman Kaoru had even seen came towards the room. Kaoru's yukata was like a rag compared to what she wore. The woman's hair was swept up and held in place with jewel-encrusted clips. Her face was made of porcelain, there was no other explanation for the flawless complexion, the perfect eyes, the red lips. She seemed so tall, like at perfectly straight bonsai that reached for the sky.  
  
Oh my, Kaoru thought. I am dead. I am dead and this goddess is here to collect my soul.  
  
Michi leaned down and looked at Kaoru. "Perhaps you should lie down. You look so pale. Are you…"  
  
"I don't want to be dead!!" Kaoru cried suddenly.  
  
Michi was taken aback and then started to smile. "You're not dead, child. You would have been if the guards did not drag you from the swollen river. But you are safe now, if not a little bruised."  
  
Kaoru sniffed. "Who are you?"  
  
"You can call me Michi," the woman said.  
  
"Where I am?"  
  
Michi paused. "That is a more difficult question to answer. But it will be answered in time. For now, let's get you a bath and some more formal clothes. Himi, go run the bath. Airi, go fetch a kimono." As soon as the orders were given, Michi turned her attention back to Kaoru.  
  
"Now dear, what is your name."  
  
"Ka... Kamiya Kaoru," Kaoru sputtered.  
  
"That's a very pretty name. Now tell me, Kamiya-san…"  
  
"Kaoru, please."  
  
Michi smiled. "All right, Kaoru. Tell me about yourself."  
  
* * *  
  
Almost an hour later, Kaoru finally got a chance to take a breath. She felt like someone had stepped into her mind and prodded it, trying to grab every bit of information possible. Still, it was strange. Michi seemed only concerned with Kaoru herself. Her family. Her home.  
  
"Kamiya Kasshin Ryu?" Michi asked. "That sounds very interesting."  
  
"My father taught me," Kaoru said.  
  
Michi's face faltered for a moment and then suddenly it was replaced with her normal smile. "Of course." Himi suddenly appeared and Michi nodded. "Go on dear, your bath is ready."  
  
"Thank you Michi," Kaoru said with a smile.  
  
As soon as she was gone, Michi walked briskly from the building across the garden and to another large building. An older man jumped to his feet as she entered.  
  
"Madam," he said, bowing formally.  
  
"Tsugio," she said, acknowledging the bow with a nod of her head. "Is he available?"  
  
The man shook his head. "He's still sleeping but I know he expects a report the moment he wakes up. If you would speak to me now instead…"  
  
"Of course, I trust you as much as he does. You are the most respected of the guard here."  
  
Tsugio smiled slightly and straightened his uniform. "Then what shall I tell them."  
  
"She is the daughter of Kamiya-san," Michi said.  
  
"Of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu?" Tsugio asked. Michi nodded. "Amazing. When he died, I had assumed that she…" He stopped and shook his head. "Still, no matter how much her father was trusted, how can we be sure his daughter is of the same character?"  
  
"He trained her," Michi replied, "from the start. And I can sense it in her, his spirit, his determination, his honor."  
  
Tsugio sighed. "It is not much to go on, milady."  
  
"It is enough for me," Michi said. "Tell him, I believe she can be trusted."  
  
"You're sure, then?"  
  
Michi smiled. "It is my job to understand people."  
  
"Of course, I never meant to…"  
  
"Stop kissing up," Michi said quickly. "It doesn't suit you."  
  
Tsugio shook his head. "I see your point."  
  
"Good. I'm going to check on our guest."  
  
"But if you're wrong," Tsugio said suddenly. "You know how important it is that this entire matter is kept secret."  
  
"Tsugio-san, you do not achieve the status of the Emperor's favorite concubine without knowing how to keep secrets."  
  
"Or how to tell them," Tsugio replied with a smile.  
  
"Careful, Tsugio," Michi said with a smile before departing.  
  
* * *  
  
"There's a mistake," Kaoru said meekly. "This can't possibly be what she wanted me to wear."  
  
"It is," Airi said. "A gift from her to you. Now stay still so I can do you hair."  
  
"But…"  
  
"I'll do your make-up!" Himi volunteered. "Oh this will be so much fun!!"  
  
"Ah... please, I wouldn't want to offend Michi," Kaoru said. "I really don't think…"  
  
"It's exactly what I wanted you to wear, Kaoru," Michi said as she entered the room. Airi and Himi stopped immediately and bowed as she entered. "You have a very important person to meet."  
  
Kaoru looked down at the silk kimono that covered her body. The craftsmanship was incredible. The silk was perfectly woven, the dark blue dye consistent through out. Tiny prints of white flowers on green vines climbed up and down the fabric. The obi was a deep green, matching the vines so that Kaoru felt as if she herself were wrapped in a vine.  
  
"Then he must be the Emperor himself," Kaoru laughed, "for me to deserve something like this." Airi and Himi stared intently at the ground while Michi just looked at Kaoru silently. Kaoru's eyes opened. "You're not telling me that…" Michi nodded. Kaoru paled. "Oh… oh I think I'm going to be sick."  
  
"No, no," Michi said, leaning forward and grabbing the girl's hand. "Please keep calm. You must listen to me careful, Kaoru. The Emperor is here and he needs to speak with you."  
  
"But… but I just left Edo and I was under the impression he was there. In the Imperial Palace."  
  
"You are right. To the rest of Japan, the Emperor is still there and that illusion must remain in place."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"That… cannot be explained. At least not by me," Michi said.  
  
"Who are you?" Kaoru asked, bewildered by her situation.  
  
"Airi, Himi and I," Michi began, "are concubines to the Emperor. The men who found you in the river were his guards." There were footsteps at the door. Michi stood up. "Now let Airi and Himi finish with you. I have to go."  
  
"But Michi…"  
  
Michi raised a hand to silence her and disappeared into the hallway, leaving through the shoji door. Kaoru sat there in silence and mild shock. Suddenly Airi and Himi erupted into giggles.  
  
"Well, now that you know," Himi said, "you won't mind us helping you get ready."  
  
"You can borrow my hair clips!" Airi said, gathering Kaoru's hair.  
  
If Kaoru acknowledged their talking she didn't show it. She just sat there in dumb silence while the two girls worked on her.  
  
* * *  
  
Sano frowned. "I don't know about this," he said unhappily. "Something about this place sits with me the wrong way."  
  
"Sano, please, this is the first place we have come across since we found the bridge. If Kaoru-dono passed this way…"  
  
"Right, right," Sano said, holding up his arms. There was no reasoning with the man when he was like this. Of course there was never a doubt in either of their minds that Kaoru was alive. But the grueling day and night walking was really starting to wear them both down.  
  
Sano knocked loudly on the wooden door. He heard movement inside and the door cracked open.  
  
"What do you want?" a female voice demanded from inside.  
  
"Hey baby, we're looking for…" Sano began.  
  
"Just go away!" And the door slammed shut.  
  
"What the hell?" Sano said. He began to pound on the door again.  
  
"Sano…" Kenshin said pulling him aside. "Why not let me try this time?"  
  
The door cracked up. "I said go…"  
  
"Please miss," Kenshin said, sticking his foot in the door. "We are searching for our friend and we believe she may have come this way. Her name is Kamiya Kaoru. She has long black hair and…"  
  
"Stay there," the voice demanded. Kenshin pulled his foot from the door and let it slam shut.  
  
"I still don't like it," Sano muttered. Kenshin shot him a glance. They heard someone shouting and a few minutes later the door opened. Michi motioned them inside.  
  
"Please stay here," she said evenly. Before either of them could say anything, she had disappeared. Michi walked away from the gate back to the room Kaoru was in. She found the girl being nearly attacked by Himi and Airi.  
  
"Himi! Airi!" Michi called out alarmed. The two young girls erupted into giggles. They stepped away and knelt on the floor.  
  
As soon as they were clear, Michi got a look at their handiwork. She couldn't help but smile. "Kaoru, are you all right?" The girl nodded numbly. "There are two men here who seem to know you. One had long red hair, violet…"  
  
Kaoru was up before Michi could even react. Himi and Airi looked each other and took off, leaving Michi to catch up with all of them.  
  
"Is he your husband?" Himi asked.  
  
"NO!" Kaoru cried, feeling the blush creep into her face.  
  
"Is he your boyfriend?" Airi continued.  
  
"No! He's… ummm… he's…"  
  
"All of you stop!" Michi commanded suddenly. The three girls stopped and turned to face a flustered looking Michi. "Honestly. I would have expected more from all of you then to act like such children. Himi, Airi, go ahead, I need to speak with Kaoru."  
  
Himi and Airi seemed all to pleased to run away from Michi's glare and to whoever had effected Kaoru so much. As soon as they were gone, Michi took Kaoru's arm gently in hers.  
  
"Kaoru, we need to talk about your friends," Michi said.  
  
"It's all right, Michi," she said. "I've known them for a while now, I know that they can be trusted."  
  
"Kaoru… please, for my sake, do not tell your friends about what happened until after you speak with the Emperor himself."  
  
"Michi…" she started.  
  
"Kaoru, please."  
  
Kaoru frowned and nodded after a moment's paused. She didn't like but… she supposed a couple of hours of not telling Kenshin wouldn't be that bad.  
  
* * *  
  
At the gate, Sano and Kenshin suddenly found themselves surrounded by two bubbly young girls. Much to Sano's dismay, they seemed more interested in Kenshin then him. It figures, Sano though. I just want to know what the hell it is about him that's so damn attractive.  
  
"You have the coolest hair!"  
  
"And I love the color of your eyes!!"  
  
Kenshin's face broke out into an embarrassed smile. "Really now…"  
  
"Yeah," Sano said suddenly. "You're embarrassing him. Besides wouldn't you two beautiful young women enjoy the company of someone a little taller…" he finished puffing out his chest.  
  
Himi and Airi giggled and jogged back towards an approaching Michi. Sano followed them with his eyes and smiled.  
  
"Forget the tadpoles," he said suddenly. "Look at the one."  
  
Kenshin looked up and felt his heart stop. Next to the one that had shown them in stood a raven haired goddess. The deep blue of her robe echoed in her eyes which were framed with the slightest circle of black powder. Green vines encircling her in a deep embrace. A slight touch of powder to her face. A bit of rouge on her lips. And hair piled on the top of her head in a design that seemed to wrap around in an inescapable maze.  
  
She turned towards the approaching Himi and Airi and something sang in the air. It took him a moment to realize it was the tiny beads on her hair clip clicking together and not a siren's spell sent to entrance him.  
  
Not that it would work. She had entranced him and Sano without saying a word. Himi and Airi finally reached her, just as she and Michi stopped talking. They jumped up and down and grabbed her arms, dragging her towards the two haggard travelers.  
  
"Holy shit," Sano said. "Is that Kaoru?"  
  
And then she smiled and Kenshin knew that Sano was right. It was Kaoru. Her smile faltered a bit as the two young ones dragged her closer.  
  
Kaoru finally found there was something more terrifying then meeting the Emperor of Japan, a God in his people's eyes. And that was meeting Kenshin looking like this. Yes, here she came, Kaoru the fighter, Kaoru the tomboy, dressed up and painted like a doll. He was going to laugh, she knew he was going to laugh.  
  
But it was Sano who was the first to make a sound. It was something of a nervous laugh as he mustered up the words. "Hey Jou-chan… you look pretty good."  
  
Kaoru frowned. "Thank Sano," she said, with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. Her eyes flickered to Kenshin but he didn't say anything. She frowned further. "Well I see that my trip to find you was useless. Obviously, I had no reason to be worried."  
  
Sano looked over at Kenshin. The stupid rurouni was sitting there with a blank expression on his face, letting him take the fall for their being gone a little bit longer than they thought.  
  
"We just got a bit held up," Sano finally said.  
  
"You could have at least written."  
  
"The rains washed out the roads," Sano snapped. "How would we get a message through? Unless you want to blame me for the rain!!"  
  
"Now, now," Michi said, suddenly interceding. "I am sure you have both had a long trip to get here. How about you two take a bath and go to sleep. Kaoru has something to do before she can leave."  
  
"Right," Kaoru said, trying to control the disappointment in her voice. "I'm sure you won't be too upset to see me go." She turned on her heel and walked away, Michi close behind. Himi and Airi came next, shooting nasty looks at the two men.  
  
"Oh, Jou-chan! Don't be like that!" Sano called out. He looked over Kenshin. "This is all your fault. The least you could have done was say that she looked pretty." Kenshin didn't move. "Oi, Kenshin," Sano said, giving him a little push.  
  
The rurouni fell over backwards, hitting the ground still frozen somewhere between shock and euphoria.  
  
* * *  
  
"…so stupid!" Kaoru said as she followed no one in particular.  
  
"Kaoru," Michi said trying to catch up with the girl.  
  
"I can't believe that I actually thought…"  
  
"KAORU!" Michi yelled. Kaoru stopped in her tracks. "Kaoru, please slow down. I know you are anxious to get away but it would be easier for us all if you were headed in the right direction."  
  
Kaoru frowned. "I'm sorry Michi. It's just that…" Kaoru sighed. "It's nothing, actually. Nothing at all."  
  
"Are you sure?" Michi said. "Because I'm about to take you to meet the Emperor now and it won't do to have you upset."  
  
Kaoru took in a deep breath. "I'm ready."  
  
Michi took her hand and led her to the garden. The peaceful area did help Kaoru calm down some. Of course, it was just enough for her to realize where she was being taken. And then the remaining anger was replaced with a very strong nervous feeling in her stomach.  
  
She wanted to say something. She wanted to stop. She wanted to be sick. She wanted to be anything except some poor girl about to meet the Emperor. But before she could do anything, they were there and Michi was leading her through the door.  
  
Dropping to the floor next to the concubine, Kaoru made sure her head touched the floor. She didn't hear anything though but something made her stay still just the same.  
  
"Kamiya Kaoru."  
  
The sudden break in silence made Kaoru jump. He was there! He had been there the entire time.  
  
"Yes, sir…" she managed to mutter.  
  
"Kamiya. It is good to meet you. I knew you father. He was a good man."  
  
"Thank you sir."  
  
"Michi tell me that you have been studied his legacy, the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu? You are the current master then of this style?"  
  
"Assistant master," Kaoru said.  
  
There were the sounds of porcelain clicking as he took some tea but Kaoru didn't dare look up. "So you live by your father's code, the sword the protects."  
  
"Yes, of course."  
  
"And where is your sword?"  
  
Kaoru balked. "I don't have it. I lost it in the river"  
  
Kaoru almost felt his smile. "That is too bad," he said. "I think, however, that we can replace it."  
  
"That's too great an honor for me to accept," she said softly.  
  
"Nonsense. Besides, it does not come free." Kaoru's brow furrowed but she remained as she was.  
  
"Kamiya, do you know why I am here and not in my palace?"  
  
"No sir."  
  
The Emperor sighed. "You are still young, Kamiya. I know that you would have trouble remember much of the chaos that occurred before I came to power. I find it hard to remember myself. But I do remember enough to not want it to happen again.  
  
"However, it has become clear that there are some who wish to return to that state so that they may rise to power instead of me. My advisors thought it best to move several of us to the country secretly while they could investigate what is going on.  
  
"But it is hard for them to do so without raising suspicions. Too many people may be involved. And not just our countrymen. The foreigners have begun to dig themselves in too deep. If we are not careful, then Japan will fall into war again and the leader who will emerged will not be one of our own.  
  
"Kamiya, your father served us well and I would never seek to place such a heavy burden on his daughter. But time is growing short and it will not be long before I must return to the Palace. If my men can not find this threat then maybe someone outside the Emperor's company can. Someone who can move through the streets without drawing attention to herself."  
  
Kaoru's mind was slowly processing the information that the Emperor was relating. A threat to the very stability of Japan. But what was he asking her to do… he couldn't possibly be asking for her help.  
  
"Michi will give you my seal, something you may use to elicit my men's help if you need it. It is something I entrust to you because she had judged your character worthy of it and I find myself in agreement of it."  
  
"Th... thank you sir."  
  
"It would be best to keep this to yourself. The entire purpose of asking for your help is to hopefully surprise my enemies. The more people you tell, the greater the chance that they will find out and not even my seal can protect you from their vengeance."  
  
There was silence as he sipped more tea. It was barely enough time for Kaoru to clear her head. A task, an Imperial task to boot. Someone thought that she might be able to do something to help her country and her Emperor.  
  
"We are quite a pair Kamiya. I the Kiku, you the Shinai. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword. And yet both seeking the same thing. Peace. I wish you luck, Shinai. May you never come to understand the full meaning of the sword that protects."  
  
Kaoru was shocked by what he just said. What did he mean? That she never come to understand…  
  
"Kaoru? It's all right, you can look up."  
  
Kaoru lifted her head and found herself in an empty room. Michi was standing next to her, holding a small seal with the Imperial crest on it. "I'll bring the rest of the things tomorrow. You look very tired. I think it's time for you to go to sleep."  
  
And somehow, Kaoru could not bring herself to disagree. 


	3. Chapter 2 : The River

Author's note:  
  
Thank you to april, asuka02redva, Gypsy-chan and kridz for the reviews! A couple of you asked for e-mail updates so you're probably here 'cause you got one. If anyone else is interested, let me know and I'll add you to the list (it'll help my review count to).  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Early the next morning, Kaoru, Kenshin and Sano stood at the gates of the imperial compound preparing to leave. Kaoru had gotten a travelling outfit courtesy of Michi, though the kimono she had worn last night was wrapped up in a silk package in her arms.  
  
"Here's that gift from…" Michi said handing her a long, wrapped parcel but trailing off.  
  
Kaoru bowed slightly and took it from her. "Thank you again," she said with a smile.  
  
"I hope we can see each other again," Michi said. "It was…"  
  
"K-Chan!!" Himi cried as she pushed past Michi.  
  
"Are you really going?" Airi asked, as she pushed by on the other side.  
  
"But we were going to do your hair…"  
  
"And your make-up…"  
  
Kaoru tried to look upset at the prospect of not being mauled by the two energetic young concubines but she could only smile. "Another time, I promise."  
  
"Hey jou-chan," Sano said. "Sun's going to set at this rate."  
  
Kaoru shot him a nasty look but finished up her good-byes. It wasn't until they were out of earshot that Kaoru could finally breathe a sigh of relief. What a trip this had been! She couldn't wait to get home and just…  
  
Well, she couldn't relax now. She had an Imperial command to consider. But where to begin? He hadn't given her much to go on. She could always ask the police for information but that would be involving people and worse, Kenshin had close ties with the police and they'd probably tell him.  
  
"Kaoru-dono?"  
  
Kaoru blinked and looked over at Kenshin. "Sorry?"  
  
"I said is everything okay?"  
  
Kaoru shook her head to clear her thoughts. "It's nothing."  
  
"So what did they give you?" Sano asked looking over his shoulder.  
  
Kaoru looked at the long bundle she had been carrying. Carefully she untied the silk string and began to unroll it. The top of a new shinai started to peak through as she did. Kaoru was so enthralled by it that she missed the sound of something falling.  
  
Kenshin's hand snapped out and he caught it. Kaoru stopped in her tracks and looked down, quite surprised to find herself staring back. Before she could say anything, the reflection came up towards her and Kenshin held out the mirror.  
  
"A mirror?" she said, looking at it. She smiled. "I guess Himi and Airi snuck something at the last minute. Thank you," she said taking it from him.  
  
Kenshin watched her reach forward and grab it from him, completely avoid any contact with his hand. As she walked away, he couldn't help but sigh. Sano was right, Kaoru was very upset after last night.  
  
That's right, Himura Kenshin, ex-manslayer who had faced the worse odds any man could imagine and still won every fight (well most of them) had completely floundered the second Kaoru had put on a pretty dress and gotten made up. Feh, what would he have said any way?  
  
"Kenshin!" He looked up. Kaoru and Sano were several meters ahead of him. "Hurry up!" Kaoru called.  
  
"Yeah, unless you fainted standing up again!" Sano called out with a smile.  
  
"What?" Kaoru asked. But Sano just smiled as Kenshin hurried up to catch them.  
  
* * *  
  
Three days later, Kaoru found life slowly returning back to normal. With Yahiko practicing in the background, she sat by the open door of the dojo and watched as Kenshin ran after Ayame and Suzume.  
  
But it wasn't back to normal. At least not for Kaoru. Each night she found herself tossing and turning trying to think of a way to help the Emperor. The end result was the same though, a bout of tears and finally a restless sleep where she dreamed that it had all been a joke. That there was no reason that the Emperor would ever ask someone like her for help.  
  
"Hey BUSU!"  
  
Kaoru's face faulted and she found herself gripping onto the shinai in her hand tighter as she turned to face her pupil.  
  
"I asked if I was doing it right? How are you supposed to be a teacher if you don't even pay attention."  
  
Kaoru's hand clenched into a fist. Stupid Yahiko, interrupting her when she was berating herself to insult her. She stood up and quickly took off after him with her sword in hand. He was already way ahead of her but she managed to catch up and deal a few quick whacks to the head.  
  
"Five hundred more!" she said, kicking him back into the dojo.  
  
She was about to sit back down and continue to think when she saw someone standing at the door. Quickly, she moved there, hoping that maybe it was a new student looking for lessons. But the longhaired man looked slightly familiar and when he turned to see her, he started to walk away. Hurrying her steps, Kaoru caught up with him before he could make it very far.  
  
"Can I help you?" she called out.  
  
He turned around and shook his head. "Sorry to bother you. I was looking for Sano but I can see he's not here."  
  
Kaoru paused, resting her hand on her shinai. "Do I know you?"  
  
"Tsukioka Tsunan," he said after a moment's pause.  
  
The name through Kaoru's head until something clicked. "The newspaper man!" she said. Then something else clicked. "Wait a minute… I have a question to ask you. Do you have time?"  
  
Tsunan was silent. "I was looking for Sano."  
  
"I'll walk you to the Akabeko," Kaoru said with a small smile. "Chances are he's there giving Tae-san a hard time."  
  
Kenshin watched them walk off with a bit of interest. What could Kaoru want to ask Tsunan?  
  
"Ken-iii!" Kenshin turned around and found the two little munchkins pulling on his sleeves. With a smile, he turned away and pushed the worries to the back of his mind.  
  
* * *  
  
"Anything strange happening?" Tsunan asked.  
  
"Mhmmm," Kaoru said. "I read the paper sometimes but I missed what happened in the last couple of weeks."  
  
Tsunan paused. "Well, there was a debate about taxes. A couple of drunk foreigners got into a brawl with the locals. And there was another body in the river."  
  
"Another body?" Kaoru asked, her attention perked.  
  
"Yeah," Tsunan said, somewhat reluctantly. "Two young girls, both dressed very well were found dead in the river. But surely that's not something you want to hear about Kamiya-san."  
  
Kaoru smiled. "Of course not, I was just interested in… the tax debate."  
  
Tsunan got an excited look on his face (what that possible?) and began to debate the problems of a tax and how it was unfair to the working class and…  
  
"Oi!" Sano suddenly called out, waving at Tsunan. "There you are! I've been half across town looking for you!"  
  
"Well, we knew to look for you right here," Kaoru said, pointing to the sign above the Akabeko.  
  
"Jou-chan, what are you doing here?" Sano asked.  
  
"I was just discussing tax reform with…"  
  
Sano's face reddened. Of course, Kaoru thought to herself. Considering the problems he had paying off his tab at Akabeko, the topic of taxes would probably be he least favorite things to think of. And considering that it was the Meiji government that wanted to levy them…  
  
"I'm going to go talk to Tae-chan," she said quickly, slipping into the Akabeko before Sano started breaking things.  
  
"Welcome to… oh Kaoru-chan!" Tae said walking up to her. "How are you! I haven't seen you in weeks! Come in. It's quiet, now that Sano left, and we can talk. I heard that you met some stranger and he gave you lots of gifts!"  
  
Kaoru blushed, much to her surprise and sat down. She was about to start talking when she felt a presence nearby…  
  
"Tsubame, come and join us!" Kaoru said turning behind her. The little girl appeared holding up a plate and blushing as she did. But she bounded up to the table and took a seat.  
  
"So tell us about him," Tae said. "Was he handsome?"  
  
Kaoru paused. "Well, I really didn't get to see him too much."  
  
"But he gave you such a nice kimono," she said. "And a new shinai!"  
  
"Sano-san said it was so beautiful," Tsubame started, "that you won't even use it. That you hung it on the wall of the dojo."  
  
"And then there's the mirror…" Tae said.  
  
Kaoru reddened a bit. Great, Sano had come in and spilled everything. With any luck half of Tokyo would know by evening.  
  
"It really wasn't anything," Kaoru said firmly. But Tae didn't look convinced. "How were things here while I was gone? Anything interesting happen?"  
  
Tsubame suddenly looked strange. "They keep finding bodies in the river," she said softly.  
  
"Really?" Kaoru asked, surprised that the conversation had so easily turned to where she wanted it to go. But from Tae's reaction, it was obvious that it was the only thing on most people's minds.  
  
"Tsubame!" Tae chided. "Stop that! You know how rumors spread. Back to work!" Tsubame blushed and walked away, leaving Tae to turn back to Kaoru. "She's telling the truth. It's been pretty scary here. I make some of the girls stay over night just in case."  
  
"But the police should be able to stop it," Kaoru said.  
  
"Hmph, right. So long as it's only a couple of call girls, it's not as if the police will even lift a finger to help."  
  
"Call girls?"  
  
Tae looked around and made sure that Tsubame was out of earshot. "There are foreigners who will pay to have a native girl sitting on his arm for an evening. And after that…"  
  
"What?" Kaoru asked. Tae was silent. "But that couldn't possibly mean they…"  
  
Tae raised an eyebrow. "It gets worse. The place they come from is in the area. Why do you think all the bodies keep coming up in the river?"  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru walked down the street, watching the sun slowly start to set. Two dead call girls in the river? It wouldn't have been a real lead if it weren't for the fact that foreigners were involved. She sighed, it's not as if she could ask Tae where the place was without getting either berated for the thought or asked a million questions.  
  
So, she had taken to walking the area along the riverbank. She smiled to herself. Look at me, Kamiya Kaoru, secret investigator for the Emperor. It was so silly! She threw up her hands and turned back towards the dojo. What had she been expecting to find?  
  
"NO! I don't want to work here anymore!"  
  
Kaoru turned around quickly and saw a young girl, a few years younger than herself at most, struggling against a man.  
  
"You owe me too much money to leave now!"  
  
"I don't want to end up like Yasumin and Kazumi!"  
  
"You don't have a choice in the…"  
  
"Hey!" Kaoru called out, striding over there. "Let her go!"  
  
The man looked up at her. "Stay out of this, tanuki."  
  
"Just let me go!"  
  
"What did you just call me, you… you pig!" Good one Kaoru. Real original.  
  
The man looked at Kaoru for a moment and then tossed the other girl to the ground. "Get inside, Nanao. I think I found someone needs a lesson more than you do." Kaoru's eyes perked up as her feet moved into position. Of course, she didn't have her shinai but there was no way she was going to let that guy get away with…  
  
He threw the punch and it took Kaoru by surprise. What kind of man would punch a girl? She turned to the side quickly and avoided the blow. But she made sure to grab his arm and give him a little push in the right direction, which happened to be down the riverbank and right into the river itself.  
  
Kaoru leaned down and picked the other girl up. "Are you okay?"  
  
The other girl looked at her with horror. "What did you do?" she said trying to run towards the fallen man.  
  
"Well," Kaoru said a bit confused. "I thought you were…"  
  
"Do you have any idea who that was? Matsuda Yohachi!"  
  
"Ah…"  
  
"He's a big yakuza boss!" Nanao cried. "And he'll kill you for tossing him in the river."  
  
Kaoru looked over and watched the man slowly starting to get out of the water. He was short, fat, and balding and he was a yakuza boss? No, that couldn't be right.  
  
"Just shut up now and let me do the talking," Nanao said. Kaoru was about to complain again but Yohachi was there, reaching into his pocket and grabbing a very nasty looking knife.  
  
"I am going to make you pay for that…"  
  
"Then all the girls and I will stop working," Nanao said, stepping in front of Kaoru.  
  
"Get out of the way…"  
  
"Listen to me, this is perfect. You won't hire us male bodyguards because you're afraid that our clients will disagree. But a girl who can fight? Isn't that a fair compromise?"  
  
Yohachi stopped advancing and look at Kaoru. "That one? You want that one to tag along? I'll never get another job is I try to sell that one!"  
  
Kaoru tried to decide whether she should be insulted or glad. Lucky for her Nanao stepped in. "Not as one of your girls, baka. As our guard. We'll slap on a kimono and some make-up and she'll pass."  
  
"Okay," Kaoru said, getting a bit upset. "I'm really starting to regret getting in… WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"  
  
Yohachi stepped away from pinching Kaoru's sides. "She's a bit flat- chested but at least she's not fat. She should fit in one of Kazumi's old kimono's. We'll just stuff her a bit…"  
  
"I think it's a great idea," Nanao said. "She can come tonight, we've got that dinner party with the foreigners."  
  
Kaoru was raging. She was imaging how many different ways she could pull Yohachi apart for what he just said. But something clicked. They wanted her to tag along as a guard for the girls to a party with foreigners. Not only did this fight in perfectly with the philosophy of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu but it was also to perfect chance to snoop around the foreigners.  
  
"Great, let's get her dressed," Yohachi was saying as he and Nanao took her arm and started to drag herself inside.  
  
"Wait a minute!" Kaoru said, realizing that she hadn't actually agreed.  
  
"Oh, stop complaining," Yohachi said. "We'll compensate you for the time."  
  
"But… but… I don't have my shinai! Or…"  
  
"We'll get one for you," Yohachi said. "There's no time to argue."  
  
Kaoru watched herself dragged inside the tiny house and was once again attacked by a horde of girls intent on making her more feminine looking. Was it really that bad? Kaoru could help but wonder as they pushed and pulled at her hair. Was she really that unfeminine?  
  
And what the HELL did Yohachi mean by flat-chested?  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru sighed as she watched the girls mill around with the foreigners. She didn't understand how they could do it. First of all, none of them could have understood what the foreigners were saying. Second of all, there were plenty of foreign women around who seemed less than pleased to see the natives. The whole situation was so wrong, even worse if Kaoru thought about what most of the girls were really there for.  
  
At least the place was nice. It must have been some foreign expert's home. They had moved in after the Meiji government was established to help upgrade the Japanese, so to speak. It was a bit ironic since most of the Meiji revolution had been set off by the arrival of the US Fleet (well, at least that was one of the reasons if Kaoru remembered her history well). Stupid Americans.  
  
There was a tiny voice next to her and Kaoru waved it off. Really, wasn't the shinai by her side enough to dissuade these idiot foreigners from hitting on her? Not that many of them had bothered. Just the really drunk ones…  
  
Oh this night was going just wonderfully.  
  
"Excuse me, miss?" the voice tried again in Japanese.  
  
Stupid foreigners. Was she really that unattractive that they were going to approach only after ample supplies of sake? Was this why Kenshin had never…  
  
"Miss?"  
  
"What!" Kaoru said turning around angrily. That was it, she was going to drive this man's teeth into his stomach if he…  
  
A small elderly man looked up at her from her shoulder. Kaoru suddenly felt bad for yelling at him.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kaoru said softly.  
  
The man smiled. "It's all right. I can understand your reaction. I was just bored and saw you wearing a shinai. I decided you might be more interesting to talk to then those airheads."  
  
Kaoru blistered. "Those girls are all very nice," she said.  
  
"I wasn't talking about them," he smiled. Kaoru paused and let a smile get through. "Ah, I knew there was a pretty girl behind there." Kaoru's smile faltered. "Don't get the wrong idea," he said quickly. "See that blonde one over there," he continued pointing to an elegantly dressed young woman.  
  
Kaoru's brow furrowed. "That's your wife?"  
  
The man laughed. "That's my granddaughter! I'm here to watch her and talk to a few of these blokes if they ever get their acts together, that's all." He paused. "My name is Abraham Jackson."  
  
"Kamiya Kaoru," Kaoru said softly. "It is nice to meet you Abraham-san."  
  
Abraham smiled. "That's right, I forgot you switch the names here. Just call me Abraham."  
  
"Ah," Kaoru said. "Well, your Japanese is very good."  
  
"I learned it before I left the States for here. If you'll excuse me now, I have to go speak with someone."  
  
"Of course," she said, watching him walk away and towards another man. The two quickly descended into an intense conversation.  
  
"So you met Abe," Nanao said as she walked up to Kaoru. "He's a good guy, a bit strange. Something of a teacher, I think."  
  
"Who's he with?" Kaoru asked.  
  
Nanao frowned. "Some German businessman. He tries to say his name but we can never repeat it. So we all call him Red, because of his hair."  
  
Kaoru looked at the German talking to Abe. Red hair, it was so…  
  
Oh shit, Kaoru suddenly realized. Kenshin! She hadn't sent word to anyone about where she was going to be. Looking outside, she could already see the stars in the sky. They weren't going to be happy.  
  
"What's wrong?" Nanao said, watching Kaoru's expression change.  
  
Kaoru was attempting to think of an answer when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Before she could ask Nanao about it, one of the other girls ran up to them.  
  
"Please, Kaoru-dono, I can't find Hirako-chan. She was really drunk and I think she went outside for a walk."  
  
Kaoru frowned and took off, heading in the direction where she thought she had seen something, hand resting on the hilt of her shinai. A couple of people turned to watch but she paid them little heed as she headed towards the door.  
  
Outside, Tokyo opened up before her. The streets continued in a mazelike pattern and Kaoru had no idea where Hirako could have gone off to. She heard a sound and decided it was her best lead.  
  
Turning the corner, she saw two men dragging a girl down the road. Kaoru pulled out the shinai and walked up to them. She sort of recognized the girl so it had to be Hirako. Her feet made soft clicking sounds as she approached them and the two men turned around.  
  
Berating herself for missing the obvious, Kaoru kicked off her shoes, though it was a little late. One of the men was headed right towards her while the other continued to drag Hirako way.  
  
The first man threw a punch and Kaoru was relived to find that the attackers were not armed. She ducked and quickly brought the shinai across, sweeping the man's legs from underneath him and sending him to the ground. With a small twirl of the shinai and a slide forward while crouched, she brought the hilt of the sword into the man's temple, knocking him out cold.  
  
Leaving the body behind, she went after the second man. But as she turned the corner to follow him, he was there. She barely had time to move and he landed a punch squarely on her shoulder.  
  
Not wasting a minute, Kaoru quickly countered, driving the shinai into his exposed side and spinning out of the way. Bringing the shinai up again, she landed a blow on his head, one perfected by months of hitting Yahiko there.  
  
The man fell to the ground quickly. Kaoru nodded and went over to Hirako, picking up the girl and dragging her back towards the party. By the time she got there, most of the girls were out of the building.  
  
The second the girls caught sight of Kaoru, they all rushed to her side to help with Hirako. As soon as they were sure the other girl was okay, Kaoru was deluged with praise and thanks. Apparently, she was their new hero. And Kaoru couldn't help but smile.  
  
* * *  
  
Kenshin stood at the gate and looked down the street, frowning. It was very late and there was still no sign of Kaoru. Every part of him wanted to go out and search the streets for her. And if it weren't for the fact that Ayame and Suzume were asleep in the dojo, he would have left hours ago. Especially after hearing the stories about the dead women.  
  
Of all the nights, why did there have to be a medical emergency tonight? What if it was Kaoru? What if they found her floating in the river…  
  
There was a distant clicking sound. Too long apart to be horses, it must have been someone's shoes on the road. Kenshin backed away and headed into the kitchen. As he watched from the door, he saw Kaoru walk through the gate, dressed in her training outfit.  
  
She locked the gate behind her and sighed, walking towards the main building. He took in a deep breath and walked out of the kitchen.  
  
"Kenshin!" she called out, surprised. "What are you doing up?"  
  
"I went for some water, Kaoru-dono," he said, in response.  
  
"Oh," she said. It almost sounded like she was disappointed.  
  
"This is a very late time to be getting home," he said.  
  
She nodded and paused. "I was at the Akabeko," she said. "I'm sorry I was late. I'll try to remember to tell you next time."  
  
"What's wrong with your arm?"  
  
Kaoru looked down and saw the bruised flesh peeking through her gi top. With a quick motion she covered it up. "I must have run into something," she said softly. "Gomen, but I'm really tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep. Good night."  
  
She hurried towards her room and shut the door shut. Kenshin frowned. He knew she was lying and it worried him that he did not know the reason why. Where had she been? He was going to have to ask Tae-dono if Kaoru had been there last night. But he felt he already knew the answer. 


	4. Chapter 3 : The Fish

Author's note:  
  
First of all, thanks for the reviewers (Standard Rhetoric, asuka02redeva, Colleen, Corina, rebecca and Gypsy-chan for chp3) who have been dropping me notes. I think I speak for all the members of Fanfiction.net when I say that reviews are something that makes us all very happy. For me, it means that nothing makes me happier then to see a message from good old bot@fanfiction.net!  
  
In e-mailing people, I came to the conclusion that I had better mention a few things about this story and it's author. (See the summary change too).  
  
First of all, I am a true anime fan girl, been so for all of my life (my first fan fic… age 10 about Thundercats). This means that I watch RK with my toes constantly curled in anticipation for the slightest waffy moment between Kenshin and Kaoru. I tend to do the same thing with fan fiction, which is why every so often people will see me and wonder why the heck I have such a happy look on my face.  
  
But I'm a special type of anime fan girl. See I've been watching anime, science fiction and fantasy for as long as I can remember. And the number one problem is that none of the girls in these genres can fight worth a damn, do anything without screwing up completely, or worse, they're just half-dressed bimbos who need constant rescuing.  
  
Therefore in addition to looking out for waffy moments, I am always looking for and cheering for the "girls who kick ass". In fact, I am probably the head cheerleader of the "Girls who kick ass" club. Take me to a movie with a decent heroine if you want to see what I mean.  
  
So that's where this chapter is coming from… which I really shouldn't have written but the whole thing is sitting in my head and I won't get anything done until it's written. And before you run away thinking, oh man she's never going to have Kenshin fighting in this fic… not at all. I think he's one of the coolest fighters out there. And there are going to be quite a few villains he'll have to deal with.  
  
Thanks for the reviews! Leave more they make me happy!! Off to do some real work now!!  
  
~Istoria  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Kaoru woke up the next morning and quickly bolted out of the dojo. Running to the Akabeko, she almost collided with Tae as she entered. Tae looked a bit shocked at the early morning visit but led Kaoru to table and got her a cup of tea.  
  
"Tae-chan," Kaoru said gripping the other woman's hand as she put down the cup. "I need to ask you a very large favor."  
  
"Tell Kenshin you were here last night," Tae replied, as she took a seat across from Kaoru.  
  
Kaoru paused and tried to get the last bit of sleepiness out of her mind. "How did…"  
  
"He was here first thing this morning," Tae said pleasantly. "And I decided it would be better to cover for you and get the story out of you later."  
  
"Thank you, Tae-chan," Kaoru said, taking the tea and drinking it with relief. She looked up and found Tae still staring at her. "What?"  
  
"Well… come on, what happened last night?" she demanded.  
  
"What do…"  
  
"Was it the man?"  
  
"What man?!?" Kaoru said, blushing slightly.  
  
"The man with all the gifts. Did you go to see him last night?"  
  
Kaoru shock her head quickly. "What? No! No, it's nothing like that…"  
  
"But it was a man, right? I mean, the sneaking around, not telling anyone…"  
  
"It's not a man," Kaoru said firmly. Tae looked at her intently. "Oh all right, it is a man and about two dozen girls." Someone started choking on their soup and Tae was looking at Kaoru with a pale face and wide-open eyes.  
  
"It's a job," Kaoru said sticking out her tongue at Tae. "Just a job."  
  
"Oh!" Tae said, very relived. "Oh, you scared me."  
  
"Serves you right!" Kaoru replied.  
  
"But… but why all the secrecy?"  
  
Kaoru bit her lip. This one was going to be a bit harder to explain. She'd just have to fib it a bit. "Well… it's not the most glamorous job and I don't think the others would agree with it but…" She sighed. "It's money and well, I can't take Sano and Kenshin always traveling on away on jobs. This job is in Tokyo and I'm perfect for it."  
  
"I understand," Tae said. "So long as it's not anything dangerous or immoral, then it's fine. You shouldn't be ashamed."  
  
Kaoru paused. Well, it wasn't like she was doing anything immoral. And it wasn't that dangerous… Of course, there was the whole other reason that Kaoru took the job. But there was no way that she was…  
  
"Gomen," Kaoru said standing up quickly. "I have to get back before anyone realizes I'm gone. Thanks again for covering… and Tae…"  
  
"Yes, yes," the other woman said with a wave. "You'll be here every night."  
  
"Thank you," she said, as she walked out the door.  
  
Tae sighed and stood up to go take care of the rest of her customers. When she reached the table in the back she pulled out her towel.  
  
"I told you so," Tae said to the guest. "Now you let her do this. I think it's important to her for you all not to interfere." She dropped the towel next to him, causing a few red strands of hair to move in to breeze. "And next time, try not to choke on your soup. It almost gave you away."  
  
* * *  
  
"What I don't understand is if you had money for a new pole, why didn't you just buy the fish instead?" Yahiko demanded as the group made its way to the river.  
  
The sound of her shinai hitting Yahiko on the head echoed down the street. Behind him a very flustered looking Kaoru finally pulled it back and gave him a little push to keep.  
  
"Kaoru-dono had the right idea, that she did," Kenshin said. "With a new pole, we can catch fish for many weeks rather than just have food for one night."  
  
Kaoru smiled happily. "Thank you Kenshin." Looking ahead, she had to block her eyes to keep out the sun. "There they are!"  
  
Up ahead, Sano sat chewing on his ubiquitous fish bone while Ayame and Suzume were happily tugging at Megumi's shirt. As soon as the two little girls caught sight of Kaoru and company, they rushed forward happily.  
  
While they were pulling at Kenshin's sleeves and making demands, Kaoru waved at Sano and Megumi. "Good morning!"  
  
"Hey jou-chan."  
  
"Kaoru-chan," Megumi said. "Did you not sleep at all last night? You have black circles under your eyes."  
  
Yahiko laughed. "You really are a tanuki!"  
  
"What did you say, Yahiko-CHAN?"  
  
"Don't CALL ME CHAN!"  
  
"Maa maa," Kenshin said suddenly intervening. "Let's stop fighting now. Yahiko, go ahead and find us a good spot."  
  
Yahiko frowned but took off ahead, leaving the rest of them to walk in relative peace. As soon as her anger subsided, Kaoru let herself enjoy the day. The sun was shining and there was a slight breeze in the air so it was comfortable. Most of Tokyo had taken to the streets and the world was alive with conversation and laughter.  
  
Megumi was walking behind her, bickering with Sano who had made the mistake of semi-insulting her again. Poor Sano. In the course of knowing Megumi he must have managed to cover all the insults. It was like he was a little boy who kept punching the girl he liked.  
  
Ahead, Kenshin was still struggling with the two little girls who seemed intent and wrapping his sleeves around him and tripping him. But he managed to avoid it with the same grace he displayed in sword fighting. Only in this case, he was laughing. There was no trace of the fighting spirit that emerged in times of peril. He seemed completely at peace.  
  
Kaoru smiled. It was moments like this that she truly loved her life. Sure there were kidnappings, assassination attempts and the occasional plan to topple the Meiji government. But she wouldn't have it any other way.  
  
Well, okay, there would be one thing she would change.  
  
"Kaoru-chan, you seem to be smiling quite a bit," Megumi said walking up next to her.  
  
Kaoru nodded, her ponytail bobbing happily as it did. "It is a nice day, ne?"  
  
"Yes," Megumi said. "First nice day of spring."  
  
Kaoru smiled in response and then paused. "Where is Sano?"  
  
Megumi looked at her. "I think he tripped back there."  
  
Kaoru whipped around and saw Sano trying to pick his way out of a food cart. She looked at Megumi with surprise and watched the two little fox ears pop out as she smiled.  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru sighed and let the pole tottering in her fingers. The sun was already high in the sky and no sign of a fish. Looking over at Yahiko, she prepared a barb, only to find the boy asleep. She would have woken him up and had him do five hundred head strikes for picking such a bad spot but she just sighed and looked out at the river again.  
  
"No luck, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked as he took a seat next to her.  
  
"None," she said with a frown. "And with a brand-new pole too. Where are Ayama and Suzume?"  
  
Kenshin's eyes widened in innocence. Turning around she saw the two little girls attacking Sano's spiky hair as he sat on the ground. He seemed not to mind too much though Megumi's constant directions on how to tie it in knots seemed to make him twitch a bit.  
  
Kaoru looked back at Kenshin with a bit of mock anger. "Kenshin, did you tell them to do that?" But he just smiled innocently. Kaoru returned the smile before turning back to the pole.  
  
"Maybe the fish are swimming on the other side of the river," she said softly.  
  
"Maybe they are asleep," Kenshin volunteered.  
  
"Maybe they got scared away by your ugly face."  
  
Kaoru turned around and saw Yahiko looking at her with one eye open, looking over at her. She got ready to throw a barrage of insults at him when suddenly the pole began to slip from her hands. She reacted quickly and got a good grip but suddenly the prey began to fight and Kaoru was being dragged into the river against the dirt ground. Before she could so much as let out a surprised cry, there was another pair of hands on the pole above hers.  
  
"Gomen, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, as he struggled against the strength current of the river and the fish.  
  
Looking behind her, she realized why he was apologizing. Catching the pole the way he did meant encircling her first. Her heart skipped a few beats when she realized how close they were. The red was starting to creep into her cheeks but she tried to focus on the pole.  
  
"Iie, iie," she said finally. "Just help me pull this fish out of the water!"  
  
Kenshin smiled and dug his feet into the ground. At least she wasn't mad. It was the only thing he could think of when she suddenly shot forward towards the water. And it wasn't as if he minded this position at all. Her ponytail bobbing up and down, hitting him lightly in the face. Her back almost touching his…  
  
"Kenshin!" she cried as they started to move forward.  
  
Right, the fish, he thought. His feet dug in and the muscles on his arms flexed as he started to pull backwards. Kaoru helped as much as she could but seeing the strain on his hands, she knew he was doing most of the work. But she tried her best to pull as well.  
  
Suddenly there was a break in the water and the line went slack. Kaoru and Kenshin fell backwards. Kenshin concentrated on the ground and trying to fall too hard on it. But Kaoru got a glimpse in the sky and saw the silver- scaled fish fly over their heads, leaving a trail of water in its path. The hit the ground hard but Kenshin took the brunt of it. Kaoru turned and pushed off his stomach, taking off after the fish.  
  
"Oro…" he muttered, feeling the pain in his head and the air rush out of his mouth from Kaoru's blow.  
  
"Yahiko!!" Kaoru cried.  
  
But the boy was already way ahead of her, running after the fish and trying to catch it in his hand. Kaoru caught up with him and tried as well, but it seemed that each time they got a grip on it, it slithered out of their hands on back to the ground.  
  
"Catch it! Catch it!!" the little girls cried dancing around the two.  
  
"Got it!" Yahiko cried.  
  
"Got it!" Kaoru cried.  
  
But neither of them had it for long. The dirt on the ground started to spin into the air as the two of them danced across trying to catch it and the fish flopped around. Sano was clutching his stomach trying to stop laughing. Kaoru's face broke out into a smile and she started to laugh as well, chasing after the fish as best she could.  
  
Suddenly Yahiko swooped down and caught it. But it slithered up in the air into Kaoru's hands. She didn't have for much longer and suddenly it was a game of hand over hand as they tried to catch it as it moved higher and higher until finally it went above Kaoru's head.  
  
Taking the momentum, it spun in the air and headed straight for Megumi. Before the female doctor could move, it landed in her lap. With a frightened yell, she cringed as it flopped in her lap, jumping up occasionally and hitting her in the nose.  
  
"I'll get it, megitsune," he said. His hand snapped forward to catch it but missed completely and landed on something else entirely. Something a bit soft and fleshy and…  
  
"AIE!" Megumi said standing up quickly and whamming him on the head. "Watch where you grab!!"  
  
Holding his head, he looked up at her indignantly. "I was trying to help!!"  
  
"You were coping a feel!" she yelled back.  
  
"The fish!" Yahiko cried, catching it as it flew from Megumi's lap. "Got it!" He turned away and didn't realize Ayame and Suzume were right behind him, jumping up and down. Trying to avoid them, he fell forward and hit the ground. The fish escaped and flew in the air heading back for the river.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru cried, between laughing. "Catch it!!"  
  
Kenshin had just managed to get up when he saw a silver thing heading straight for him. He didn't have time to react as it hit him head on, causing him to fall back down. Kaoru reached him and knelt down next to him.  
  
"Where is it!" she giggled.  
  
Kenshin blinked and looked up at Kaoru. "I don't know…"  
  
"No!" she cried. "You let it get back in the river?"  
  
"I don't…" His left side of his shirt suddenly moved. The fabric jumped up again. Kaoru's eyes widened.  
  
"I got it!" she cried as her hands lunged forward into the open fold of the fabric.  
  
"Kaoru-do…"  
  
But whatever he was going to say was lost under his laughter as Kaoru fished around for the fish. A second later she stood up, holding the fish firmly in her hands and a huge smile on her hand. Kenshin barely had time to catch his breath when he saw Kaoru lean down to Ayame and Suzume.  
  
"I have a secret," she said to them. The two little girls looked very excited. "Kenshin is ticklish." Kenshin barely had time to see her smile over her shoulder as she walked away and Ayame and Suzume attacked.  
  
* * *  
  
The stars were in the sky by the time the group had finished celebrating the fish dinner. It was more than enough reason for Kaoru to break out the fresh sake that she had bought (though this time she stayed away for it… for the most part). Sano was recounting the story, embellishing on his saving Megumi and how Kenshin had fallen victim to the two little girls.  
  
The laughter had never stopped since they left the riverbank. And as Kaoru watched it, she realized that this was it. This was what she had always wanted in her life. The dojo had been so empty after her father died. But now, it was filled with laughter.  
  
She would have stayed there forever, if there hadn't been a noise at the door. Kenshin's eyes flick over but Kaoru waved him off. She moved over to the door and opened it softly. Looking down, she saw someone slightly familiar but before she could recognize the face, the girl had bowed forward deeply.  
  
"Kamiya-san," she said softly. "I did not want to bother you at home but we are all very worried about Nanao-chan."  
  
Things started to click in Kaoru's mind. This was one of the girls that she had been protecting last night.  
  
"What happened to Nanao?" she asked, rapidly getting more concerned.  
  
"She went out in the afternoon but she was supposed to be back by now," the bowed girl said. "And Yohachi won't don't anything…"  
  
"Okay, just stay there. I'll be right back." Kaoru closed the door and walked back to where her friends were. "Gomen," she said with a smile. "But I have to run to Akabeko quickly. Tae-chan needs my help."  
  
"We'll come with you," Sano said, realizing the prospect of continuing the party at Akabeko.  
  
"Iie," Kaoru said quickly. "I don't want to interrupt your dinner. I'll be right back!"  
  
She ran out of the room and to her room, grabbing the shinai and her fighting uniform. She quickly headed to the door and met the young girl there.  
  
From the opening door in the door, Kenshin watched out of the corner of his eye. Sano smiled and nodded at Yahiko. He held up one finger and then five. Yahiko paused for a moment and then nodded. Megumi raised an eyebrow and said nothing.  
  
Five seconds later, Kenshin got up. "Well, I think I'll go to sleep."  
  
As soon as he was gone, Yahiko hit the floor with his fist while Sano laughed. "Never bet against me," Sano said with a smile. "I know how he thinks when it comes to jou-chan."  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru gripped the shinai as she rounded the corner of the street. If the girls had been right, Nanao should be somewhere around here, visiting the man they called "Red". As expected Yohachi had not cared much about the missing girl. But he said Kaoru could go after her, so long as she understood she wouldn't be paid.  
  
Amazing how much she was starting to hate that man in the short time she had known him. At least he had given her the name of the place where Red lived. The street was well lit and filled with several uniformed policemen.  
  
Kaoru frowned and started back the way she came. If Nanao was in trouble, the officers would have seen her. She followed the wall of Red's house until she came to the back and started to walk through the back street. It was only a few seconds later that she heard the sniffling.  
  
Increasing her speed, Kaoru began to search the dark alley for the young girl. Finding her finally, Kaoru collapsed in relief next to her.  
  
"Nanao-chan," Kaoru said softly. "It's all right, I'm right here." Nanao looked up and Kaoru gasped. Her face was covered with blood. "Nanao! What happened?"  
  
Nanao tried to form words from beneath the sobbing but failed miserably. When it seemed she finally managed to regain to control, the words got lodged in her throat and her eyes widened. Kaoru turned around, looking over her shoulder to see what had terrified Nanao so much.  
  
In the darkened alley, it was a bit hard to see but Kaoru recognized her instantly. Long blonde hair, young face, crystal blue eyes. This was the woman Abe had said was his granddaughter. Only now, she wasn't dressed in an elegant gown but rather a crisp black pantsuit. Her hands were gloved and in the right one, there was a long thin blade covered in blood.  
  
The woman said something but there was no way Kaoru could understand. She didn't need to. Nanao's reaction. The blood covered blade. And though the words were unintelligible, Kaoru could feel the hostility in them.  
  
"I don't know what you just said," Kaoru said, turning around fully and standing up. "But I really don't care. You hurt my friend and now I'm going to kick your ass." She brought the shinai forward. "And don't worry, I'll make sure to translate that to something you can understand."  
  
The blonde girl smiled and raised her weapon. Her front foot came out into a lunge, her back arm curled next to her head. Kaoru had never seen a style like this but considering the foreign design of the blade, she doubted that many in Japan would know what was about to come.  
  
With a cry, the blonde lunged forward and Kaoru barely had time to move out the way. The shinai hit the metal sword with a clang and Kaoru say a few splinters of bamboo come off it. The blow wasn't very hard but the sharpness of the sword was evident.  
  
The blonde smiled and pulled the sword up, shaving off a piece of the shinai as she did. The curled piece of bamboo fell at her feet. Kaoru's eyes narrowed and she jumped backwards to avoid the sword as it came down again. Planting her feet, Kaoru watched the blond thrust again.  
  
Kaoru dodged again by turning to the left and brought the shinai up for a strike. But there was something about the blonde's sword that she had failed to realize. The weakness of the strikes was obviously due to the lack of weight. But that meant the blonde could move it faster. So before Kaoru could move, the blonde had already countered, bringing the sword quickly back across Kaoru's exposed stomach.  
  
The fabric of her gi split and a thin red line appeared on her skin. Kaoru stumbled backwards and the blonde let out a little laugh. She said something and even though Kaoru didn't understand, she knew it was bad. The blonde's face melted from laughter to anger as she lunged again and this time Kaoru was ready.  
  
She didn't counter with the Shinai. Kaoru understood how the sword worked, its length and its width. So this time, she only needed to drop her shoulder to avoid it and thrust with her shinai to get a clear shot right at the blonde's stomach. Kaoru heard the impact and the blonde's surprised gasp. Not wasting a moment, Kaoru spun on her lead foot, straightening the back leg and catching the blonde's legs in it.  
  
The other girl went down as Kaoru swept her and Kaoru quickly stood up. Before she hit the ground, Kaoru's right foot came forward in a low kick and pinned the girl's sword arm down at the wrist. The shinai thrust forward with Kaoru's kiai and stopped just short of the girl's neck.  
  
"Clear enough?" Kaoru said, looking angrily at her opponent. She was met with the same icy stare as before, though it wasn't quite as confident.  
  
Then from the darkness came clapping. And out of the shadows came Red. Kaoru's looked out of the corner of her eyes at him but didn't dare let down her guard.  
  
"That was most impressive," he said, in near perfect Japanese.  
  
"I'm glad you enjoyed the show, really," Kaoru replied sarcastically.  
  
"Ah, and a fiery personality too! You and Erica could be twins you are so alike!"  
  
"Only I'm not a psychotic witch that cuts up innocent girls," Kaoru replied, looking down at the blonde whose name was apparently Erica.  
  
"Innocent girls?" Red replied. "I thought you knew all about them. Don't be concerned, they're just trash really. And Erica is very jealous when it comes to me. Now let her up."  
  
Kaoru frowned. "No. I'm going to wait until the police come here and have her arrested."  
  
Red laughed. "Are you serious? You really think that they're going to arrest the granddaughter of Abraham Jackson? More likely, they'll arrest you for fighting her. Now, let her up and come inside."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere," Kaoru said.  
  
"Fine," Red replied, his tone changing. He pushed the jacket away from his hip to reveal a small pistol. Kaoru's eyes widening. There was no protecting against that.  
  
"Then I'll just kill you here."  
  
He drew the gun but before he could raise it, a soft click filled the alleyway. Kaoru smiled a bit and cursed at the same time. She should have known she would be followed.  
  
"I would not do that if I were you."  
  
Red turned around at the approaching figure. "Red hair, eh? Well, at least mine is natural." If the taunt bothered Kenshin, he didn't show it. He just advanced slowly, hand resting on the hilt of the sakabatou. Red's eyes darkened. "You can stop right there."  
  
But Kenshin kept advancing. Red raised the gun and fired. With inhuman speed, Kenshin turned to the right, the bullet flying by him but not touching him. Red blinked and cursed.  
  
"There is a problem with weapons like that," Kenshin said, finally coming to stop. He drew out the sakabatou and placed the tip of it under Red's chin. "They take too long to reload."  
  
Red's eyes closed. "Go ahead," he said with a smile. "And then try to explain it to the police. I'm sure they'll believe a whore, a cross dresser and a vagabond killed two children of important foreign dignitaries in self defense."  
  
Kenshin's eyes narrowed for a moment. "Kaoru-dono, let the girl go."  
  
Kaoru frowned but let the blonde girl go. The look they shared as Erica walked over to Red would have frozen fire. As soon as she was gone, Kaoru ran over to Nanao. Kenshin reached forward and grabbed the pistol from Red's hand and then sheathed his sword.  
  
Red smiled a bit and held out his arm for Erica. "We'll meet again," he said, starring at Kenshin as the two made there way back into the house.  
  
"That we will," Kenshin replied before going over to Nanao and Kaoru. 


	5. Chapter 4 : The Weasel

Author's note:  
  
Thanks for all the reviews!! The toughest part of writing for me is to get the beginning of a story solidified. I think I've finally managed to set everything up as I wanted, now I just have to finish the middle ^_^ I pretty much have the end of the story in my mind and I've actually been working backwards to figure out the last four chapters of the story. Now I just got to fill stuff in between.  
  
Anyway, reviews are nice, as always. My other story (a Ranma one) just hit the one hundred review mark so that made me very happy. Of course that one is several months in the making and going on chapter like 23 or something.  
  
A bit about placement of the story in the Kenshin timeline. Well… I can't place it after the Revenge arc because then Kaoru and Kenshin are kind of together by then. So I'm going to place it right after the Kyoto arc. The manga and anime diverged here anyway so it's not that much of a stretch to have yet another divergence. Of course, in doing this, there is one little problem… Kaoru doesn't know about Tomoe. But I think I have a way to take care of that.  
  
Standard Rhetoric – concerning the size of the fish… well, um… okay, so I remember the river in Tokyo being a little rough but watching Kenshin a couple of nights ago, I realized that the river in the anime is always so calm. So I was counting on a strong current to explain why it was so hard to pull the fish out. Ahem… so author's note, it had rained the night before and the current of the river was very strong ^_^  
  
Gypsy-chan – I left a review on one of your stories but not only did it not leave a signature, the stupid thing left the name blank. Looks like those gremlins got to me too.  
  
Susan – I hope you got a good night's sleep ^_^  
  
Colleen – Here's next chapter as requested ^_^  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Kaoru and Kenshin sat silently at the steps outside of Megumi's room. At first Kaoru had simply explained the silences as them both resting from having to carry Nanao all the way here. With a sigh, she laced her fingers together on her knees and rested her head on that.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Kaoru-dono?" he asked.  
  
"I'm just wondering how you managed to get clear across Tokyo so quickly," she said with a frown.  
  
He coughed slightly. "Well actually…'  
  
"Yes?" she said after the extended pause.  
  
"I was chasing after a firefly."  
  
"A firefly, ne?" Kaoru said, not really believing it for a moment. "And did you catch this… firefly?" she said looking over at him.  
  
He smiled slightly looking at her. "Not yet."  
  
"Kaoru-chan," Megumi said opening the door. "You can come in now."  
  
Kaoru stood up and walked inside, mulling over Kenshin's words. She had a feeling that he was alluding to something rather than lying straight out. But seeing Nanao completely covered in bandages made her mind foggy.  
  
"I don't understand how someone could do this," Kaoru said.  
  
"What exactly happened?" Megumi asked.  
  
Kaoru related the story, word for word. Amazingly, she didn't leave much out. Of course, there was no mention of the task from Emperor but when it was over, it seemed Megumi had already figured out there was more to it then what Kaoru was saying.  
  
"You actually told someone that you were going to…" Megumi cleared her throat. "Kick their ass?"  
  
Kaoru blushed. "I don't know what came over me!"  
  
Megumi frowned. "I think you've been spending too much time around Sano," she said.  
  
"No, its not that, it's just that… I was so angry. I don't know if I've been that angry before!!"  
  
"Of course you were angry, Kaoru-chan." Kaoru looked at her with confusion. "Because that could have been you."  
  
"I don't…"  
  
"You are a woman who has established herself, though I don't know if you would call that dojo an established…"  
  
"Megumi…" Kaoru said, getting somewhat flustered.  
  
"But your friend here… she didn't make. For whatever reason, she lost out in life and ended up here, cut up and in a job that forces her to hurt herself daily. And I think I understand it more than you because I was there once myself. You are lucky Kaoru-chan, you know that right."  
  
Kaoru looked at Megumi with surprise. The taunts were there but Megumi was serious and… well, really hitting the nail on the head.  
  
"I know I'm lucky…"  
  
"Then what are you doing," Megumi asked harshly, "trying to mess it up?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I've watched these past few days. You're not sleeping at all. I doubt you're eating well. You're distracted and…"  
  
"I'm not distracted!" Kaoru said, suddenly breaking in. Megumi raised an eyebrow and her hand shot forward, hit Kaoru lightly in the stomach. But the blow was enough and Kaoru folded in as Megumi made contact with the cut across her stomach.  
  
"No?" Megumi asked.  
  
Kaoru's brow furrowed and she looked at Megumi with anger and then a bit of sadness. "Megumi-chan… please don't tell…"  
  
"Kenshin? Why should I? If you keep this up, I'll have him all to myself." Kaoru's look of sadness deepened and Megumi relented. "I hope it's worth it… what ever you are doing. Now let me bind that up for you."  
  
Megumi had just finished when Nanao started to wake up. "Nanao-chan!" Kaoru cried, pulling away from Megumi.  
  
"Ka… Kaoru-chan?"  
  
Kaoru looked over at Megumi and the female doctor sighed, before getting up and leaving. Before she shut the door, she cast one look at Kaoru and frowned. Megumi hated not knowing was going on.  
  
"Nanao-chan," Kaoru said again. "Are you all right?"  
  
Nanao's eyes opened. "Where… where am I?"  
  
"You're at a doctor's home, a friend of mine," Kaoru said softly. "Do you remember what happened?" Nanao's hand came up softly and she felt her face and the bandages there. Her eyes began to well over. "It's okay," Kaoru said quickly, taking Nanao's hand. "You're fine. And you're safe."  
  
"They're going to kill me," Nanao sniffled, tears flowing freely.  
  
"No, no. That… girl just cut you a bit. To scare you. Because you were with Red."  
  
"They were going to kill me!" Nanao said desperation in her voice. "Not because of that… not…"  
  
"Nanao-chan," Kaoru said, getting more worried. "Because of what?"  
  
The girl started to cry in earnest now. "I shouldn't have gone. But I found Yasumin's diary and then I realized what had happened." She sniffled and tried to steady her voice. "Kazumi was so close to her, she must have read it and gone to Red's and then…"  
  
"Nanao-chan, you have to calm down," Kaoru said, recognizing the two names as the women who were found dead in the river. "What was in the diary?"  
  
"Something is wrong in that house," she said. "I thought if I found out what it was that maybe… maybe I could go to the police but…"  
  
There was nothing intelligible after that. Kaoru concentrated on calming Nanao down enough for exhaustion to over take her. She covered her up with a blanket and softly stepped outside. Kenshin and Megumi looked up at her.  
  
"She fell asleep," Kaoru said softly.  
  
"Did she tell you what happened?" Kenshin asked.  
  
Kaoru paused for a moment. "It was just like we thought. Jealousy on the part of the blonde."  
  
There was a moment of silence before Kenshin just nodded. "I think it's time to go home." He started to walk away but stopped as soon as he reached the door.  
  
Megumi grabbed Kaoru's arm. "Kaoru-chan, listen to me carefully. If you don't want Ken-san to know about that cut you are going to do exactly what I say."  
  
"Meg…"  
  
"No argument. Rest these next few days and consider whatever it is you are doing," she said.  
  
Kaoru frowned a bit and then nodded. "Keep Nanao-chan safe. I'll find someplace for her to go soon." And with that she walked to the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru kept her word and tried to just relax the next few days. At least she relaxed on the surface. Her mind never stopped as she tried to think of a solution to her dilemma.  
  
It was obvious that Red and Erica were up to something. But there was no guarantee that it had anything to do with the problems that had sent the Emperor to his secret retreat. And then there was Nanao-chan. Sano had said there were men around Megumi's house that looked like they were casing the place. How long before they attacked Megumi and Nanao?  
  
The answer eluded Kaoru for days before it was suddenly so clear. The perfect solution to both her problems.  
  
Which is how she ended up waving Nanao off from the pier. It hurt to watch Nanao leave this way, the memories of Kyoto coming back all to clear. Kaoru remembered her own trip to that city, how it all began there.  
  
She walked up to Nanao with a smile and handed her a small parcel. "Here are some things that should keep you going on the boat."  
  
"I can't…"  
  
"Please take it," Kaoru said. "And when you reach Kyoto, my friend there will be at the dock to pick you up. And when she does, please give her this," Kaoru said handing her a letter.  
  
"Kaoru-chan," Nanao started, getting ready to cry again.  
  
But Kaoru just smiled. "Kyoto will be so nice this time of year. I'm sure you will be happy." She gave the girl a deep hug. Kaoru softly whispered in her ear. "I'll take care of things here, so just be safe."  
  
Nanao pulled away and waved as the boat took off. Kaoru waved furiously with a great big smile on her face until Nanao was out of sight. And then Kaoru was alone. With a sigh, she made her way back to the dojo to see how Yahiko was doing.  
  
He barely looked up when she put her head in the door to watch him. He counted loudly, though it seemed hard to believe he had managed to do 400 hundred strikes in the short time she was done. Looking over, she saw her own shinai slightly shredded from her encounter with Erica. Several of the binding ropes had snapped and one good shot by Yahiko would totally destroy it.  
  
Looking up at the wall, she saw the shinai given to her by the emperor. It was a beautiful piece of work. The bamboo probably came from his own private stock. The ropes that held the four pieces of bamboo together were silk as was the covering on the sheath. It was beautiful but ultimately useless.  
  
She'd have to buy a new one. Of course that would require money and it wasn't exactly growing on trees around the Kamiya dojo, especially with two free-loaders and Sano's frequent visits. Besides, a shinai wouldn't hold up again Erica's sword. And the bokken she had brought to Kyoto was damaged as well. What to do…  
  
"Men!" Yahiko cried and suddenly stopped. "Done!"  
  
Kaoru looked over at him with a frown and stood up. "Done, ne? Then doing the next round of five hundred should take you just as short a time." Yahiko glowered but realized he had been found out. And for once his mind decided not to press his luck.  
  
Kaoru made sure to pay attention this time. She stopped him when his form faltered and corrected it. While she hated to admit it out loud, Yahiko was getting pretty good. He had proved himself in Kyoto and it wouldn't be long before Kaoru had to do more than just teach him basic fighting techniques.  
  
"All right," she said when he was done. "Come with me."  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Just come on, time to get something to increase your training," she said. With a happy look, Yahiko fell quickly into pace behind her, trying not to act too excited. But as they passed Kenshin in the yard, his control broke and a huge smile spread on his face.  
  
"Kenshin, Kaoru think I need advanced training!" he cried, walking over to his hero.  
  
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "I just said…"  
  
"That's very good, Yahiko," Kenshin said with a smile.  
  
Kaoru gave up and walked over to the small shed she used to store things in. She opened the door and coughed slightly at the dust the came out. Walking inside, she pushed against some of the boxes and looked for what she needed. Then suddenly in the corner, she saw a ghost. Letting out a little shriek, she stepped back and knocked over several boxes.  
  
"Kaoru-dono? Is everything okay?" Kenshin said, suddenly appearing.  
  
Kaoru frowned and looked at the 'ghost'. Walking over, she pulled off the sheet to reveal the training dummy. "Hai," she said. "I thought I saw a… umm… mouse." She started to pull at the dummy but it was heavy and she could barely drag it. It took the three of them to get it outside.  
  
"You can strike well enough," Kaoru said. "But to build strength, you need something to hit against."  
  
Yahiko looked at the dummy and poked it with his shinai. "It's so old, it'll probably fall apart the first time I…"  
  
"BAKA!" Kaoru said hitting him on the head. "My father made it so it'll last! Five hundred strike on the head." Turning around she left him there to practice.  
  
Yahiko didn't protest much, realizing he had hit a very sore spot. He brought up the shinai and brought it down squarely on the dummy's helmet head. The recoil sent him to the ground, arms wavering from the impact.  
  
Kaoru smiled as she jumped back into the shed and started to put things away. As she was working, she realized that most of the stuff in here was from her father from when the dojo was full of students. She reached down and found the long silken bag. Gripping it tightly, she felt the bokken in it. Looking at the bag, she saw something rather badly embroidered on it. It took her a while to realize that it was the name Kamiya and remember what it was.  
  
~~~  
  
She was ten years old and the dojo was alive with activity. Students walked in the courtyard holding their shinai over their shoulders. In the middle was the training dummy, being struck by some of the older students.  
  
Kaoru walked over to watch them, wearing her hakama and shirt. Her hair was in a ponytail though the hair was so short that all she got was a little curl from the top of her head. She was watching the students, yelling in glee each time they made a hit. Most of them laughed with her, calling her sensei-chan as they listened to her give instructions.  
  
There was a yell from the front of the dojo and the students scattered, lining up in perfect lines. A man strode from the balcony and into the courtyard. His long black hair tied into a low ponytail. His beard twitched slightly as he passed Kaoru and patted her on the head.  
  
"You are all students of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. What is your mission?"  
  
"To protect people!" the students cried in unison.  
  
"What do you use to protect people with?"  
  
"The sword!"  
  
"And why do you do this?"  
  
There was silence. It was the first time their sensei had ever asked them that question and they had no uniform answer to give him.  
  
"No one?"  
  
"Sensei," one of the students ventured. "What do you want us to say?"  
  
"You don't know?" he asked. The students were silent. "Does no one know the answer?" Silence.  
  
Kaoru walked up and pulled on her father's sleeve. He looked down at his daughter with a smile. "There is no one answer," Kaoru said with a smile. "Each person must find their own reason to do it. And when they have found the reason, they're training is complete."  
  
Her father face beamed proudly. "That's right Kaoru-chan. The rest of you," he yelled. "Five hundred strikes! Now!" As the students began their drills, her father took her hand and led her inside the dojo.  
  
"I wanted to give you this when you were ready," he said, opening a case in the back of the dojo. He pulled out the silk case that could only have covered a bokken. "And you're very close today."  
  
Kaoru touched the silk and looked at the embroidery on it. "What does that say?"  
  
Her father looked down at it with a frown. "Kamiya of course." And then he smiled. "Your mother was never very good at embroidery."  
  
"Mommy made this?" she asked, touching it slightly.  
  
"Yes, before you were born. I think she knew, even back then that…" He fell silent. "I have kept it until the day that you were ready to complete your training. Are you ready?"  
  
Kaoru paused and shook her head. "I don't think so. I practice because I know it will make you happy. And I know I want to protect people but…"  
  
Her father smiled. "The best student is the one who admits that he still has something to learn." He put the bokken back in the box. "When you're ready, then this will be yours." He stood up and took her hand, leading her back out to the courtyard where the students were still practicing.  
  
~~~  
  
The scene faded and was replaced with the same courtyard. But there was only one student practicing and one rurouni doing the wash. She sighed sadly and placed it back in the box. No, she wasn't ready for it now either. Assistant Master would have to do for a while.  
  
* * *  
  
The days passed slowly. Yohachi hadn't sent her a message telling her she was needed. She had seen a couple of the girls in the street and said that most of them were still freaked out over what happened to Nanao. It seemed that even Yohachi had a bit of compassion in him and had decided to give them a week of relaxation.  
  
It was just as well, too. If Kaoru had attempted to leave the dojo to do something other than shop, fish or go the Akabeko, Megumi would have spilled the beans. Looking down at her stomach, Kaoru found the wound had almost completely healed and the scar would be minimal.  
  
Yahiko was getting used to hitting against the dummy, though Kaoru had seen him grimace every time he washed the floors. His arms were obviously sore from hitting against it and Kaoru had been right, the dummy was holding up just fine even if the student wasn't.  
  
Kaoru should have enjoyed the relative calm but it was really starting to unnerve her. When it seemed like she would go insane from the calm, the door of the dojo suddenly swung open and shrill voice filled it.  
  
"KAORU-CHAN!!"  
  
Walking from her room, Kaoru's eyes opened as soon as she saw who it was. "Misao-chan!" The little ninja ran up and glomped Kaoru happily.  
  
"Misao-chan," Kaoru said, trying to catch her breath. "When did you get here?"  
  
"This morning on the train," she said happily. "It's not as much fun as walking here but grandfather insisted. Still… the train was fun!"  
  
"Misao-dono," Kenshin said, suddenly appearing with Yahiko in tow. "You're in Tokyo?"  
  
Misao smiled brightly. "Kaoru-chan asked me…"  
  
Kaoru quickly broke in. "…to stay with us for a while in repayment for taking in Nanao." She smiled at Misao. The other girl hesitated for moment but then quickly nodded.  
  
"That's right," Misao said brightly. "But it wasn't necessary. Nanao-chan is a great cook so we eat very well now!! She even got a job cooking at the restaurant next door. They're giving the Shirobeko a run for their money."  
  
Kaoru smiled. It was the best news she could have received. Maybe in Kyoto Nanao would have the chance to start over.  
  
"Everyone else is fine," Misao continued. "They all said hi. Well, not Aoshi-sama. He just… meditates," she said unhappily. "Oh, Kaoru, I have a letter from Nanao!"  
  
"Good," Kaoru said. "Kenshin, can you take Yahiko and go fishing? I don't think we have enough food for tonight."  
  
"Of course, Kaoru-dono," he said with a smile before leaving to find Yahiko. The two girls sat down and Misao gave Kaoru the letter.  
  
~~~  
  
Hello Kaoru-chan!  
  
Omasu is writing this for me since I never learned to write. But she is helping me learn. The ride to Kyoto was nice, though the ship was full of foreigners who stared a lot. Your friend Misao met me at the dock and took me to the Aoiya. The people there are very nice. There was one man who seemed detached but every time I smiled at him, he would just nod and Misao would look upset.  
  
After only a week here, I got a new job! It's very exciting. I guess all the cooking I used to do for the girls in Tokyo finally paid off. I'm saving up my money now to buy some new clothes and take out Shiro. I know I should wait for him to ask me first but… men are so stupid sometimes. And if I waited for things to move along, I'd be old by the time he said something.  
  
I'll let you know what happened. By then, I hope to be able to write this letter by myself.  
  
Nanao  
  
~~~  
  
"Look, she signed it herself," Kaoru said, pointing to the scrawl at the bottom. "So what was that about Shiro?"  
  
Misao smiled and shrugged. "He walks her to the restaurant every day and then picks her up even though no one ever asked him to. It's only been a week… some of us have waited years for that a fraction of that type of attention."  
  
Kaoru smiled, remembering Misao's constant attempts to get Aoshi to recognize her as something more than a little girl. "I'm so happy to hear that everything is going well for her."  
  
"Kaoru-chan, I know you didn't ask me here just to talk about Nanao."  
  
Kaoru's smile dropped a bit. "You're right… Misao-chan, there's something I need your help with but it's something that you can't tell anyone about." Misao's eyebrow raised and her face grew excited. "Do you promise?"  
  
Misao's face fell. "Okay… I promise."  
  
Kaoru nodded and related the whole story. Only this time, it was everything. From the moments she was swept away on the bridge, to meeting the Michi and the Emperor, to the girls and finally the fight with Erica and Red. At the end of it all, Misao looked torn. Part of her wanted to pound Kaoru for every bit of information she had on the emperor. But the other part realized that this was very serious.  
  
"Demo…" Misao started. "If the Emperor is in so much danger, why not ask the military or the government for help?"  
  
Kaoru sighed. "They are helping but… if they make too much noise, the conspirators will just hide and try again later."  
  
Misao nodded slowly. "Kaoru-chan, it means a lot that you asked me to help but… why didn't you just ask for Kenshin or the others to help you?"  
  
Kaoru paused. Her mind was filled with memories. Kenshin dragged home half dead after his battle in Kyoto. The month of silence that followed. Her constant visits to his room, the sleepless night and finally, Megumi's talk with her under the bridge.  
  
"Everyone thinks Kenshin is superhuman," she had said. "But he's just a man with great athletic ability. And these attacks begin to pile up. The next time… the next time he might die."  
  
Kaoru blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. "Kenshin would fight but I… I don't want him to get hurt again. I don't want anyone to get hurt again. So I thought that if I could find out what was going on and tell the Emperor himself, maybe… maybe no one would have to fight."  
  
The wind chime sang in the air as the breeze passed by, playing with Misao's hair. She looked out at the courtyard for a moment and then back at Kaoru. Reaching forward, she grabbed Kaoru's hands in her own.  
  
"We'll figure it out, Kaoru-chan," she said with a smile and a glint of tears in her own eyes. "No one will have to fight this time, I promise."  
  
"Thank you Misao-chan," she said softly.  
  
The door to the dojo swung open and a very wet Yahiko came through, followed by a smiling Kenshin, one hand behind his head, the other holding several fish.  
  
"I'm sorry Yahiko that I am. I didn't see…"  
  
Yahiko just glowered as he passed by the two girls. Suddenly they were laughing, the tears that they were holding back moments before started coming down their cheeks. Kenshin shot them an innocent look before smiling himself. 


	6. Chapter 5 : The Lioness

Author's note : So tired. Finished late at night. Quick notes:  
  
Thanks to all reviewers. You kick ass ^_^ Sorry it took a while to finish but I'm hoping for a once a week update (now that I've got three stories running). This one is all outlined and I've got 6 more chapters to go!  
  
Yawn… need sleep, shouldn't have mixed marguerite with Starbucks coffee. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Misao bounded down the street, with Kaoru close behind. The girl moved from store to store, giggling in glee at the different windows. Kaoru smiled as Misao moved several stores ahead of her. With a sigh, Kaoru tried to pick up the pace so she could keep up with the other girl.  
  
Turning around, she saw the rest of the group trailing. "Kenshin!" she called. "Hurry please!"  
  
"Hai, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said with a smile.  
  
"Feh," Sano said watching the two girls shop. "What is it with women and shopping?"  
  
"I have no idea," Yahiko said gloomily.  
  
"OOOH! SPONGE CAKE!" Misao cried from a dozen stores ahead.  
  
"Where? Where??" Yahiko said, running forward to catch up with her.  
  
Kaoru felt him pass behind her at full speed and smiled. No matter how stern and gloomy he tried to be, Yahiko was still essentially a little boy. Looking down at her purse, she realized that for the first time in ages, she would finally have enough money to indulge in things like cake.  
  
Leaning down at the window in front of her, Kaoru stared at the tiny figurines that lined the shelves of the display. They must have been foreign based on the way they were dressed. There was a tiny soldier in a red uniform holding a rifle, a little girl with a bucket and wooden shoes and…  
  
Kaoru blinked. She pressed a few fingers on the glass and stared at the tiny dancing woman. The figure stood on one foot and spun, her arms making a circle above her head and her face was frozen in a sad look.  
  
~~~  
  
Little Kaoru held the shinai, her back facing the training dummy. Her father looked on from the porch, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Chibi-Kaoru spun quickly and tried to make contact. But each spin left the little girl dizzier and dizzier until she fell to the ground.  
  
"Are you all right, Kaoru-chan?" her father called.  
  
From her seat on the floor, Kaoru dropped her shinai. "This is too hard! I can't spin and not get dizzy!"  
  
"Kaoru-chan, maybe we had better stop for the night. Go put on your good kimono, I have a surprise."  
  
Her father seldom had her wear anything formal so the thought worried Kaoru. It wasn't going to be another long boring visit with some members of the government, was it? Or worse… a visit with her aunt where the older woman would style Kaoru's hair, put makeup on her and tell her what a beautiful wife she would make.  
  
But instead, her father took her to the more modern part of Tokyo. When they arrived, Kaoru found herself surrounded by foreigners, something that had never happened before. She clung onto her father's arm as he moved through the crowd, greeting a few people he recognized.  
  
The theater was a bit makeshift. It had probably just been built a few days ago. Her father was telling her that a small foreign troupe had traveled to Japan on a goodwill mission. But when Kaoru went to ask exactly what it was, her father hushed her and pointed to the stage.  
  
At first, it was worse then a trip to her aunt's. A bunch of girls dressed in frilly dresses hopped across the stage. She looked at her father with wonder. Did he really think that she would enjoy it?  
  
Suddenly her father was pointing at the stage. A young woman had taken the center stage and was frozen in place. She moved her hands slowly at first and then her feet followed suit. But the pace of the dance picked up, Kaoru was enthralled. The women's high kicks, her gracefully movements…  
  
"Is this a Western martial art?" Kaoru asked her father. But he just smiled and motioned back to the stage.  
  
The dancer was spinning in place, not once, not twice but almost a dozen times in a row. Kaoru watched with open eyes, taking in the girl's movements. When the performance was over, Kaoru finally understood how she was going to hit the dummy next time.  
  
Her father laughed. "Never think that all the answers can only come from one source, Kaoru-chan. The most important things I have learned have come from the most unlikely place."  
  
~~~  
  
"Kaoru-dono?"  
  
Kaoru blinked the memory away and looked to her left where Kenshin had bent down next to her.  
  
"Gomen," she said with a blush. "I was…"  
  
"KAORU!" She looked up and saw Misao and Yahiko jumping in front of the pastry shop. "SPONGE CAKE!! SPONGE CAKE!!"  
  
With a sigh, Kaoru pulled out her purse and walked over to them. Kenshin smiled slightly as she left but stayed put, looking down at the display. A western ballerina, he realized, seeing Kaoru's fingerprint on the glass. Well… it was her birthday in a month or so. It might be nice to get her something that he hadn't gotten out of the river. Besides, how expensive could it…  
  
He got a good look at the price.  
  
"Oi, Kenshin?" Sano asked watching the rurouni pitch backwards with swirly eyes and an oro on his lips.  
  
* * *  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Misao cried, scrambling away from Yohachi and back towards Kaoru.  
  
"Sorry, Misao-chan," Kaoru said. "He did the same thing to me."  
  
"Give her Nanao's old kimono," Yohachi said to one of his girls. "She'll fit in that, though the hips are going to be tight. Try to avoid cake for a while"  
  
It took most of Kaoru's strength to hold Misao back. The arrangement was tenuous at best and Kaoru did not want a kick to the head to change Yohachi's mind. The only reason this had worked is that Nanao's attack had made it obvious that stricter security was necessary. And Yohachi was willing to hire another girl fighter… at half the salary he had paid for Kaoru.  
  
While Misao was tortured by some of the girls, Kaoru took the chance to catch up with the rest of them. No more murders, no more attacks. None of them had heard anything interesting.  
  
Misao tumbled out of the room and Kaoru held back a laugh. The poor girl would have looked very pretty if she wasn't huffing and puffing with her hand clenched in a fist and her face crumpled in anger.  
  
"They're insane!" Misao cried.  
  
Kaoru smiled. "They're just… enthusiastic."  
  
"I don't understand how you can put up with that! It's like they are on a constant sugar rush!!"  
  
Kaoru struggled to keep the smile on her face. Sugar rush… hmmm… who else did she know like that?  
  
"All right! Let's move!!" Yohachi said ushering them out into the waiting carriages. Kaoru and Misao took a seat next to the driver of the lead carriage. As soon as they took off, Kaoru leaned over to Misao so they could speak in silence.  
  
"So did you meet with the Tokyo Oniwabanshu?" Kaoru asked softly enough so that the driver wouldn't hear.  
  
Misao nodded. "I told them I was just visiting a friend here but hopefully after tonight, I'll have a few names to 'casually' asked them about." Misao giggled. "This is so much fun!! I feel like a spy again, searching for all this information but not alerting anyone to real purpose." She sighed and leaned back on the seat. "Ever since the fight in Kyoto, the Oniwabanshu there treat me like I might be their leader one day. Demo…"  
  
Kaoru smiled. Poor thing. She worked so hard to be a real leader to the Oniwabanshu but the one person she wanted to impress never gave her the slightest indication that he knew or cared what she did.  
  
Kaoru sighed loudly. "I think I understand," she said.  
  
The horses reared as they pulled to a stop in front of the large building. It was modern, probably built by Western experts recently to house them in more familiar buildings. There were several carriages already outside of the house and well dressed men and woman filtered from them.  
  
Kaoru jumped down, looking at each of them to see if she could find a familiar face. But there was no Erica or Red or even Abe. It was a sea of strangers. She frowned, placing a hand on the new bokken she had bought.  
  
"Crowded, ne?" Misao said looking around.  
  
"We'll just have to stay at the side and try to keep track of all of the girls," Kaoru said with a frown. "I wanted to get names of people but it doesn't look like Abe, the man I told you about, is here."  
  
"Don't worry!" Misao said with a smile. She paused and cleared her throat. "I .. sepeka gooda Enguleshu."  
  
Kaoru blinked. "Was that just…"  
  
"English!" Misao said with a smile. "I learned it when I was young. The Oniwabanshu rely on information and when the foreigners were allowed to enter, we all needed to learn some languages to keep up. So you watch the girls, and I'll listen to the conversations."  
  
Kaoru smiled. Apparently asking for Misao's help was a better decision then she had realized. At first, she had needed Misao's connection to the Oniwabanshu to identity who all the foreign men were and look for more information on the murders. But to have her own personal translator…  
  
The evening progressed quietly enough. Misao and Kaoru stood in the back, watching and listening to all that was going around them. Misao whispered to Kaoru every time she heard something interesting though Kaoru felt herself get lost in all the politics and economics after a while.  
  
It was towards the end of the evening that the trouble started. As the alcohol had been flowing since the beginning, some of the younger party goers had started to get rowdy. A couple of the girls got pushed around and in second Kaoru and Misao were down in the middle of it all.  
  
But in a matter of seconds, the crowd was out of control and Kaoru and Misao found themselves been squished in a wall of people.  
  
"ENOUGH!"  
  
Everyone froze. Looking up, they saw a tall Japanese woman walking towards them. Her long black hair was piled on her head in a complex pattern that didn't move as she chastised them. Her make-up was perfect, her lips had the slightest touch of rouge, her eyes were traced perfectly. Her kimono shone in the lights but barely moving as she walked.  
  
Reaching the crowd she started speaking in fluent English at such a speed that even Misao had to shrug. The group slowly started to disperse as the woman moved towards Misao and Kaoru.  
  
"Ruffians," she said. "I'm appalled by their behavior. I will make sure that each of their parents hears about this. Spoiled diplomat children."  
  
Misao and Kaoru blinked at the older woman and then quickly bowed. "Thank you very much for your help," Kaoru said quickly.  
  
But the older woman waved her hand at them. "I'm just tired of these foreigners acting as if they own the town. Now… you are not part of Yohachi's regular group."  
  
"No ma'am," Misao said with a refined tone that almost sent Kaoru to the floor. "Kamiya-san and I are working as body guards."  
  
The woman smiled. "Kamiya? Kamiya Kaoru?"  
  
Kaoru smiled nervously. "Hai," she said with another bow.  
  
"And you… you must be the little girl with the long braid… ah, Makimachi Misao." Misao nodded happily.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kaoru said softly. "But I'm afraid I can't remember where I've met you."  
  
The woman laughed. "You haven't met me. But my husband has related your story to me. My name is Saitou Tokio. And these are his three sons," she said motioning to the troop behind her, "Tatsuo, Tsutomu and Tsuyoshi"  
  
Kaoru and Misao turned away and looked at each other.  
  
"Saitou's married??" Karou said.  
  
"He has children??" Misao cried.  
  
Looking over their shoulders they got a good look at the three chibi- Saitou's staring at them.  
  
"I'm surprised their names aren't Aku, Soku, and Zan," Kaoru giggled.  
  
Misao laughed and then stopped, grabbing Kaoru's arm. "Wait… if Saitou has a wife and three children that means…"  
  
"That means that he and Tokio-san have…"  
  
They both paled and shivered.  
  
"Excuse me," Tokio said suddenly.  
  
Misao and Kaoru looked up quickly and smiled nervously. "Thank you again," Kaoru said, trying to recover.  
  
"Please stop thanking me," Tokio said with a wave of her hand. "Now tell me Kamiya-san… have you and the Battousai finally admitted your feelings for one another?"  
  
"Na…na… nani??" Kaoru said paling considerably. Misao looked like she was trying to suppress her laughter.  
  
Tokio frowned and wrapped an arm around Kaoru's shoulder. "Now let's not be so surprised. I heard the tale from my husband and it seemed so obvious to me what was going on. But Saitou was not convinced. So we made a little bet that if something changed within two years, he would take me to Fuji for two weeks without the children."  
  
Tokio turned Kaoru around and looked in her eyes. "I don't like loosing a bet, dear especially one that give me a vacation, so pick up the pace. Come on boys!"  
  
Watching her retreat, Misao finally started to laugh. "Can't refuse an order like that!" she said with a smile.  
  
"Misao…" Kaoru said dangerously. But then, something in her mind clicked and she grabbed the little ninja. "Misao! Do you know that this means?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Saitou's alive!"  
  
Misao's mind did a few quick calculations as she went through the problems in Kyoto. "Oh… that can't be good."  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru yawned making Misao frown. "Wake up, Kaoru!"  
  
"But Misao, it's so late and I really just want to go back and go to bed. All the girls are safe, our job is done for the night… can't we do this tomorrow?"  
  
Misao shook her head. "It's already been about two weeks since Nanao was attacked. The longer we wait the less likely that Red will have left something behind. We'll be home in an hour, I promise."  
  
Kaoru nodded slowly. Misao was right but that didn't stop Kaoru's body from protesting as she and the little ninja climbed the rope up the side of Red's house to get to the roof. Kaoru was still unsure how she had gotten talked into a late night raid but Misao assured her that this was standard Oniwabanshu procedure.  
  
Misao reached over and helped Kaoru open over the wall. The little ninja walked silently around the flat roof, so different from the traditional Japanese triangular ones. She looked at her feet and smiled, pulling up a metal grate silently. Waving Kaoru over, the girl slipped inside.  
  
Misao landed on the wooden planks and carefully balanced herself on the support beams. Kaoru followed suit, kneeling on the beams as she tried to regain her balance. Thoughts of being swept away by the river flooded her mind and she felt her knees go weak. But Misao was already several steps ahead, so Kaoru steeled her resolve and tried to push her fear of heights out of her mind.  
  
Misao looked down at the floor beneath her. The house was strangely designed, that's for sure. The grate on the ceiling was normal enough. It was there to help air circulate, something she'd been hoping they'd have. But she couldn't understand why the ceiling was so far from the ground or why there weren't any walls to make room divisions. Maybe the house hadn't been finished yet and they were waiting for supplies. Trading ships did take a while to come from Western countries.  
  
Whatever the reason, it made her job easier. She examined the ground below, seeing a few pieces of furniture, a lot of barrels against the wall (probably Western alcohol from the last trading ship), and a polished desk.  
  
Looking over, she saw Kaoru kneeling behind her. Misao pulled out the rope and threw it down so it was several inches above the polished desk below. She wrapped it once against the support beam and gave the other end to Kaoru. Kaoru nodded and stood up, pressing her back against the ceiling to steady herself.  
  
Slowly Misao took the rope in hand and leaned back. Kaoru's fingers strained against the weight.  
  
"No more cake," she said as Misao's feet left the beam. The ninja looked up with venom in her eyes but saw how much Kaoru was struggling and let it go. She slid down to rope, until she was just above the desk.  
  
She looked down and then carefully stepped onto the top of the desk. She looked quietly through the papers, sure to put them back in place when she was done. There were shipping orders, letter from home, a couple of maps but nothing that would have justified the murder of two call girls and the attack on the third.  
  
But then, Misao got a better look at one of the maps. It was of the area around the house and there were two large circles drawn. The smaller one was drawn in black and created a circle around this location. The second one was drawn in red, with the house as the center again. Looking closer, she realized that there were several government buildings, a couple of foreign offices, a few theaters and…  
  
Misao stopped. Of course! This house wasn't finished and it never would be because this house wasn't being built for someone to live in. They were just building the outside so no one would suspect whatever they were doing inside. Looking over, she tried to get a better look at the barrels lining the walls.  
  
Misao had learned to speak English but reading it was another matter entirely. Still, they had taught her some of the more important words that she might come across. She slowly traced her eyes over the symbols on the barrel and found the tell-tale combination. T. N. T.  
  
They were going to blow the house up and take out half the block with it! This was bad… this was very bad. The young girls must have seen the barrels and realized what was going on. That's why Red had killed them!  
  
Misao's ears suddenly picked up a sound from outside. Jumping up, she grabbed the rope, hearing Kaoru yelp in surprise. The footsteps stopped and the door swung open, just a Misao had made it halfway back to the ceiling. The rope was curled in her hand and she held her breath as the man walked inside. She didn't dare move and could only hope Kaoru would hold on.  
  
It wasn't a foreigner that entered but a Japanese man, holding a very long rifle. Just one, Misao thought. She could take that.  
  
But then a couple more armed men entered and Misao realized they were completely outnumbered. Looking up, she saw Kaoru struggling very hard to keep still and hold on to the rope. Its okay, Kaoru, she wanted to say. Just a few more minutes and these guys will be gone.  
  
"I know I heard something," one of them said.  
  
"Well, I don't see anything," another said.  
  
Suddenly something bolted across the floor. One of the men cried in surprise as the rat came straight at him.  
  
"There's your noise… hey watch out!" The two men collided and hit the ground. "Nice going," one of them said, standing up from the ground. "Scared of a little…"  
  
The man trailed off seeing his friend lying on his back staring up in astonishment. He looked up and saw someone grabbing onto the beam at the ceiling. "Intruders!"  
  
"Run!" Misao said as soon as she landed on the beam. Kaoru didn't need to be told twice. A shot rang out and part of the beam in front of her exploded. Running through the debris, trying to keep her balance, Kaoru finally found the ceiling grate and pushed through.  
  
Reaching down, she grabbed Misao and pulled her through. "Down the…" Kaoru started just as the edge of the building exploded from a rifle shot.  
  
"Not good!" Misao said, grabbing Kaoru and running to the center of the building. "Kaoru! Jump!!"  
  
The two girls ran towards the edge and took a leap in the air. Something whizzed by Kaoru's ear but they landed on the neighbor's roof without incident. Kaoru didn't wait for Misao to say it this time. She took off running and leapt to the next roof.  
  
Three houses later, she and Misao paused to catch their breath. "Think we lost them?" she asked. A tile next to her exploded in response.  
  
Misao and Kaoru continued their run, desperately trying to outrun the men on the ground with rifles. They didn't dare get off the roofs, afraid they would get trapped in a dead end in the streets. But the constantly running and jumping was starting to wear them out. Worse than that…  
  
"Misao!"  
  
"I see it," she said, at the sudden lack of roofs. "It must be the river! Keep going!"  
  
They reached the last house and could hear the river, swollen from the rains in the north and moving dangerously fast. "We can't…" Kaoru started just a shot whizzed by her.  
  
"It's the only way!" she said taking Kaoru's hand as they both leapt into the water, gunshots raring around them.  
  
* * *  
  
Kenshin opened the door to the dojo and saw Sano and Yahiko waiting in the courtyard. He frowned as he pulled the jacket around his shoulders and walked towards the other two men, shaking his head.  
  
"They were not at their… employer," he said. "But their charges were all there and asleep."  
  
"They weren't with the fox," Sano said.  
  
"And Tsubame said that they haven't been at the Akabeko all day," Yahiko added.  
  
"This is stupid," Sano said, throwing up his arms. "I know you promised Tae to let Kaoru keep this job but…"  
  
"They're not with those girls," Kenshin interrupted. "I think something else is going on."  
  
At the moment, the door opened and Kaoru and Misao stumbled in, drenched from head to toe. Kaoru was half carrying the little ninja and both were shivering and sneezing in the cold night air.  
  
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin said watching the scene. The three men ran over to them, Sano taking Misao from Kaoru.  
  
"What happened!" Yahiko asked.  
  
Kaoru pushed, clenching her arms around her as she tried to think of a way out of this one. "One of the carriages flipped into the river and we had to…"  
  
"Bull shit!" Sano broke in. "We just talked to that pimp and he said everyone was at home, safe and sound." Kaoru looked up at him and sneezed pitifully.  
  
"Don't blame her," Misao suddenly said from Sano's side. "It was my fault. The Tokyo Oniwabanshu wanted me to do a job for them and I convinced Kaoru to come along."  
  
Kaoru sneezed again and suddenly found a jacket on her shoulders. She recognized the smell instantly and looked back at Kenshin, locking eyes with him.  
  
"Why the hell didn't you tell us?" Sano demanded.  
  
"It was last minute," Misao said. "And you'd have been to damn big to do the job."  
  
"Is that true, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked, looking at her. Kaoru's resolve began to crumple underneath the violet eyes.  
  
"It's… it's…" she started.  
  
"Just leave her alone!" Misao cried, realizing what was about to happen. "She freezing and all you guys are doing is yelling at her!"  
  
"You shouldn't have taken jou-chan," Sano said back at her. "She's not a ninja like you. You should have asked on your other spy friends."  
  
"Kaoru-dono, what happened to your shirt?" Kenshin said softly pulling the edge of her top.  
  
Kaoru looked down and saw two holes in the left side of it. "I must have torn it on something…"  
  
But Kenshin had seen something else at that point. A thin red line against her side that could only have been a part of an almost healed wound. He looked up quickly to catch her eyes again, but Kaoru had already pulled the jacket around her and was walking away.  
  
"All right, I want to know what's going on!" Yahiko said. "Sure, I don't mind the extra deserts or the fresh food, but I don't like this job you have."  
  
"Yahiko…" Kaoru started. "It's difficult to understand. But it's something I have to do."  
  
"Yeah, I'm just a dumb kid," Yahiko said, stomping off angrily. "Why would I understand?"  
  
"Yahiko!" Kaoru called out but half of it was lost in a sneeze.  
  
"He's just worried, jou-chan," Sano said. "And angry that you're not telling him everything. What's the big secret anyway?"  
  
"I'm sorry but I can't…" Kaoru said, eyes starting to glisten over. "I just… I just didn't want anyone else to get in trouble again," she finished softly before walking quickly to her room.  
  
"Trouble?" Sano said to Misao. "What the hell does she mean trouble?" Misao struggled from his grasp to follow after Kaoru but Sano held her tight. "No way, weasel girl. You tell what your group was so keen on learning."  
  
Misao squirmed angrily, ready to pound Sano for what he had just said. "Idiot! Let me go!!"  
  
"Tell me!" Sano said, holding her tight.  
  
"Argh! Fine, you want to know," Misao said. "Saitou is alive. There, there's your big secret."  
  
Misao felt Sano's grip loosen and she moved away. He reacted just as she thought. She almost wanted to smile that she had managed to get out of the situation without telling them the whole truth. Not that it mattered. The big secret would be front page news tomorrow. Kaoru had dragged them to the nearest police station once they crawled out of the river.  
  
That's when Misao realized how deep Kaoru really was in this whole Emperor thing. She whipped out this little pendant with the Kiku stamped on it and the entire place was on its feet. But Kaoru hadn't stayed, her desire to return home overruling her desire to see the terrorists arrested. With Sano momentarily in shock, Misao took her chance and ran after Kaoru.  
  
"No…" Sano said. "The bastard! I knew he survived!"  
  
"Of course he did," Kenshin said, not really surprised. "But he's not our problem."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Kenshin held up the fingers he had used to grab Kaoru's shirt. There was a bit of dark matter on them and Sano reached forward to smell them.  
  
"Gunpowder?" Sano said, surprised. "But Saitou would never…"  
  
"It's not him," Kenshin said. "At least, that's not why they were sneaking around. There's something else going on."  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
Kenshin frowned. "I promised her I'd protect her and I'll do it, even if it's from herself." He paused. "I know someone in the Oniwabanshu too and I think he'd be interested to hear what Misao has been up to." 


	7. Chapter 6 : The Wisteria

Author's note: Hi everyone!!! Eesh, this story's been done since Tuesday but what with all the FanFiction.net issues, it's just been waiting on my HD since then (poor Xing, I'm sure this was not an easy week at all… but everything's back to normal now ^_^)  
  
Anywho… this chapter was released someplace else a few days ago... A wonderful site hosted by the lovely Gypsy-chan, www.geocities.com/kkfan007. So thanks to her for the chance to have the story someplace else.  
  
Thanks to Susan, Sakura Li, Cecille, Susan and Leigh! I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hope this chapter is enjoyable!!  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Kaoru threw a bored look at Misao as the girl continued to relate the intricacies of the France's economic situation. She absent-mindedly flattened the fabric of her kimono, tracing her fingers across the intricate patterns and finally across the near invisible scare against her stomach.  
  
Things had gotten difficult since she and Misao had returned from their escapades in the river. Kenshin never said anything but… Kaoru sighed. She knew he and Sano were plotting behind her back. Every time she went to the market, suddenly Yahiko wanted to go as well. If she needed to teach a class, Sano was always headed in that direction. Misao could move about freely but that was only because she would climb on the roof and bound away before they thought to follow.  
  
Looking over the youthful girl speaking a mile a minute, Kaoru had to wonder if Sano might be right. She wasn't a ninja. Maybe this was too much for her.  
  
Her thoughts drifted to Michi and the girls, locked away in a strange estate far away from Tokyo. Then to the Emperor's voice asking for her help. And finally her adopted family at home. The way Yahiko had looked after his fight at the Aoiya. Sano's destroyed left hand. And finally… Megumi's words.  
  
~ "Everyone thinks Kenshin is superhuman. But he's just a man with great athletic ability. And these attacks begin to pile up. The next time… the next time he might die."  
  
No, no I have to do this. I won't let anyone fight anymore if I can help it.  
  
"Kaoru!" Kaoru blinked and looked down at the young ninja. "You haven't heard a word I've said!!"  
  
"Gomen, Misao," Kaoru replied. "I just let my mind drift."  
  
Misao sighed. "I know it's not the most interesting thing to listen to but if they are talking about it here, then maybe there's some connection to the terrorists we captured."  
  
Kaoru nodded, remembering the front page news story on that. Of course credit for the capture was left to the Tokyo police but Kaoru did not mind at all. She wanted to keep her involvement a secret and more than that… she didn't feel as if it was over.  
  
"Oi, Kaoru," Misao said pulling on her sleeve. "Don't drift off again." Kaoru smiled and shook her head. Misao looked back over at the crowd of people. "Karou?"  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"Do you think that the boys let us go to easily?" Misao said. "After all the time they spent following you around, I thought for sure they wouldn't let you come."  
  
Kaoru nodded. "It was strange but… I guess we should not question our good luck. I think I'm going to walk in the crowd and check on all the girls."  
  
"I'll keep an ear out for something useful," she said, turning her attention back to the talking people.  
  
Kaoru moved away from the wall and began to edge into the crowd. So far, she hadn't seen anyone she might recognize. Not Abe, not Erica and thankfully not Red. She knew that the captured men hadn't spoken to the police but that didn't mean they hadn't told Red who was responsible. Two Japanese girls infiltrating their compound sort of narrowed it down too much for her taste.  
  
Kaoru blinked, looking at the entrance as a well dressed foreigner walked in. Diplomat, she thought to herself recognized that gait and the manner of introductions he used. But it wasn't the diplomat that was interesting at all. It was the man following him.  
  
Kaoru's heart skipped a beat when she recognized the red haired bodyguard walking slowly behind the ambassador, hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he surveyed the crowd. He was wearing the only formal outfit he owned, that dark blue top with the white pants, and it almost melted her knees right there to see him so dashing and handsome and…  
  
And if any part of her rational mind were working at the moment, she probably would have gotten very upset at the situation. It had been too easy to get out of the dojo today and at least know she knew why. She should be furious, ready to kill…  
  
But he looked over at her with those violet eyes and all she could do was smile and blush. Quickly realizing she was letting him win, she turned away, holding her nose slightly in the air as she passed through the crowd.  
  
Kenshin watched her and couldn't help but smile. Looking back at his charge for the evening, he could help but feel grateful to his old Dutch friend. It was the perfect solution. He wasn't technically interfering with Kaoru's job, thus keeping his promise to Tae, and he could keep an eye on her.  
  
He turned back to watch as she tried to stride somewhat nobly away. He didn't want to hurt her feeling but Kaoru was still young in a lot of ways and she clearly had no idea what she had gotten herself into.  
  
Kaoru berated herself for so easily succumbing to her emotions. Face it Kaoru, she thought to herself, he's here so he can make sure you do get into anymore trouble, no other reason.  
  
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see the man in front of her until the last second. Running into his chest, all Kaoru saw was a sea of black fabric. Wonderful, she thought, she must look real good right now.  
  
"Gomen," she said backing up with a small bow.  
  
"It's nothing."  
  
Kaoru's eye shot up, eyes wide with recognition. Red glowered down at her. Before she could move, his hand snapped out and grabbed her wrist. "Don't leave just yet," he said with a smile. "And don't make a scene either. Your boyfriend might be a few yards away but that's more than enough time for me to snap your wrist in half."  
  
Feeling the bones bending at a precarious angle, Kaoru didn't doubt him for a second. "What do you want," she said harshly.  
  
Red glanced over at her shoulder to make sure that the other redhead hadn't caught on. "I just wanted to talk to you about the little incident a few nights ago."  
  
"I have no idea what you are talking about," she said, trying not to wince as he bent her wrist slowly back.  
  
"Don't lie to me," he said. "My men heard your name from that little brat over there. You are on very dangerous ground, you know that?"  
  
"No more than you are," Kaoru snapped. "The police will arrest you soon…"  
  
"The police?" he laughed. "They are clueless and powerless against me. Why do you think I'm not in jail right now." Kaoru stared at him wordlessly.  
  
"Let's get one thing straight," he said, looking at her. "You may amuse me in some ways but I will not hesitate in killing you the next time you dare to cross me. And I'm not talking about setting my blonde minx on you. I'll take care of you myself," he continued, bending the wrist back with each word, "and make you feel more pain then…"  
  
There was something Red didn't realize or know about. The speed of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu was not limited to just fighting. And the moment, Kenshin had seen Red's grip on Kaoru, he was moving. A second later, he was there pulling Red's hand off of Kaoru's.  
  
"Is there a problem?" he said, eyeing the foreigner with half open eyes.  
  
Red smiled. "Well yes," he said. "But I wouldn't want to disrupt this party."  
  
"Then let's go outside," the ex-hitokiri replied.  
  
"No," Kaoru said, moving between them, pushing each man back with a firm hand on the chest. "It's done. We're leaving."  
  
Red laughed a bit, just as a pale hand snaked around his side. Looking down, he saw Erica smiling up at him. He turned back to the Japanese couple with a sneer. "You wouldn't be worth the energy it took to get my sword," he said before pulling Erica away.  
  
As soon as they were out of earshot, Kenshin turned to Kaoru, the anger still dancing in his eyes. But she realized that it was no longer directed at Red. It was directed at her.  
  
Before he could say a word, there was a bright flash of light. Turning to the source, they saw two men holding a camera. One of them was motioning with his hands while the other fiddle with the flash. Kaoru's brow furrowed in confusion.  
  
"He wants you two to stand together for a picture!" Looking over, Kaoru watched the elderly man walk over. Abe. "For the foreign papers," he said with a smile. He turned and yelled something in a language that Kaoru didn't recognize and suddenly the man that Kenshin was watching was there.  
  
Before she could say another word, she was in the middle of a press of people. Apparently, the foreigners were delighted to find well-dressed Japanese couple and decided that they would be the perfect centerpiece to the news photo.  
  
Kaoru looked up at Kenshin and he suddenly blinked back whatever anger was left. Her reaction to the situation was not what he had expected at all. She reached forward, following the photographer's instructions, taking his arm in hers with not a look of normal Kaoru bashfulness or annoyance but with an immense sadness hiding behind the blue of her eyes.  
  
As they turned to face the camera, he suddenly felt really bad about shooting her that angry look. But nothing else was working. Not quietly watching her from the shadows. Not concern when she showed half dead from the river. Not gently asking her if she needed help. He was at the end of ideas and no place left to go.  
  
Seeing that man nearly break her wrist in two, he knew he almost snapped. There was a part of him that still wanted to wipe the floors with that smug foreigner. But he wasn't angry with her for constantly getting trouble. He was upset that she wasn't letting him in on whatever was going on.  
  
So this is what she felt like every time he and Sano left on some secret mission.  
  
The next morning, the foreign papers in Tokyo would have a front page spread of the party at the English ambassador's house. Amongst the smiling diplomats, there would be these two people, both with pleasant looks on their faces while trying to hide the torrent of emotion behind their facades.  
  
The camera flash went off and the group laughed as they were half blinded by light. They slowly dispersed and before Kenshin could even get in a word to her, Kaoru was already being swept away.  
  
"Just borrowing her for a few minutes," Abe said, gently leading Kaoru away. She never looked back.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ah, there we go," Abe said bringing back the two cups of tea. "I'm glad we have a moment to talk. I've been rather busy at work lately and…" He trailed off.  
  
Kaoru said in the chair, looking out the open window. The wind slowly pushed the strands of hair around her ears around. The sounds of the party next door slowly filtered into the room but she wasn't looking there. She was searching the sky.  
  
"But apparently, my work has not bothered me as much as something is bothering you," he said, placing the cup of tea in front of her.  
  
Kaoru blinked and looked at the foreigner. "Gomen… I was just thinking."  
  
Abe sat down slowly in his seat. "Thinking can be good, so long as you don't do too much of it." Kaoru smiled. "So what are you thinking about, Kamiya-san?"  
  
I'm thinking about how I might finally understand why it is necessary to hurt people in order to protect them from a greater evil, Kaoru thought to herself. But turning to Abe, she let the words stay unspoken.  
  
"I'm thinking," she said taking the cup in her hands, "of what you could possibly want to speak with me about."  
  
Abe smiled. "Yes, we haven't had the chance to say much to one and other and I am sorry that work kept me away. But you see… when I saw you at the party a while back, I realized that a girl carrying a sword might be who I was looking for."  
  
"Looking for what?"  
  
"Well, a while back, I met a man who working with the Meiji government. He told me about the dojo he ran just outside of the center of town and about his family, small that it was. He had one daughter, who he was training to follow in his footsteps."  
  
Kaoru blinked and looked at him with a smile. "Was his name…"  
  
"Kamiya-san, yes it was," he said with a smile. "I wasn't sure of it until after I left the party, came home and checked my books to find his name."  
  
"You knew my father?" Kaoru said, leaning forward.  
  
"I did," Abe said. "We worked together my first trip over here. He was well respected in the foreign community, having served us as you now serve those girls. But when his wife died, he decided to concentrate on his dojo. Tell me… do you remember a foreign dance performance?"  
  
Kaoru nodded enthusiastically. "The… uh… bah… bal…"  
  
"The ballet," Abe finished. "I got him the tickets for that," he said with a smile. "He wanted to take you someplace special."  
  
"It really was special," Kaoru said with a smile.  
  
"He spoke about you all the time. I know he was very fond of you… and worried too."  
  
"Worried?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Well, the world was changing," Abe said. "Japan was emerging from a civil war just as America was. We spoke a lot about the changing times and what it meant. He asked me a lot about America. For a while I think he wanted to move there himself. But then, I realized…" Abe trailed off and shook his head. "It was a long time ago. Still it is nice to meet his daughter all grown up. Tell me, was the man you were with your husband?"  
  
Kaoru choked on her tea. "No, no, he's… it's… umm... complicated."  
  
"It always is," Abe said with a smile. Slowly his face changed to a more worried expression. "Kamiya-san, I have a favor to ask. One that you can refuse of course…"  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "I couldn't refuse an old friend of my father's."  
  
Abe's face tried to smile again but the older man's tone was still filled with worry. "It's about my granddaughter."  
  
Kaoru was thankful that the cup was not by her mouth again. She suddenly realized she had gotten to comfortable with this man who knew her father. His granddaughter had tried to kill her after all.  
  
"I'm very busy," he continued. "And I am afraid that I can't watch her as much as I would like. And now that she has gotten involved with that Waldschmidt character…"  
  
"Gomen?" Kaoru said, tripping over the foreign word.  
  
"Waldschmidt," he said. "The man with the red hair."  
  
"Oh," Kaoru said, mentally applauding that she had finally gotten Red's real name. Now if she could remember it long enough to relate to Misao…  
  
"I don't like him," Abe said. "He has a bad reputation with women and Erica… Erica is very fragile right now."  
  
Kaoru held back the snort of laughter. Yeah, real fragile.  
  
"You see," Abe was saying, "she lost her parents several months ago in a train robbing incident. They were shot right in front of her and I think the incident has fractured her mind a bit.  
  
"You are at more parties then I am… I thought if maybe you could just keep an eye out for her."  
  
"Of course," Kaoru said, trying to hide her discomfort. There was obviously more going on then she realized. Abe yawned and Kaoru realized that she had outstayed her welcome. Reiterating her promise to keep an eye on Erica, she stood up and gave him a small bow.  
  
She left Abe's with several important facts. First of all, she had found a friend of her father's, one who was involved with a part of his life that Kaoru knew very little about. Secondly, Erica might not be as sadistic as Kaoru had previously thought. She was obviously disturbed by the death of her parents and Kaoru had already run into numerous people who had gone into a blood lust over smaller things.  
  
And finally, she had Red's real name. She sang it in her mind, trying to keep all the syllables together. When she reached Misao, she spilled it out. With a firm nod and a smile, Misao repeated the name. As soon as the girls were in the carriage, Misao disappeared, off to find her Oniwabanshu friends.  
  
* * *  
  
The unhappiness from the night before still hung over the dojo the morning after. Yahiko was in the yard practicing against the training dummy with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. But he couldn't shake the dark cloud hanging over the place.  
  
Sure on the surface it was the same. Kenshin was attempting to do the wash while Ayame and Suzume pulled at him. Kaoru would occasionally yell at him for doing something wrong. But it was only half hearted.  
  
At first, he thought it was because of what day it was. May 14. The day the world had stopped in this dojo. But it didn't seem like either of them realized what the date was. There was something going on and of course, no one was telling him what it was.  
  
He hit the dummy with such a force that one of the seams split open. He dropped the shinai, looking over at Kaoru, preparing to run. She looked at the dummy, something slowly clicking through her mind past the moodiness and gloominess. The color returned to her face in scarlet red form and Yahiko prepared to run for his life.  
  
"Ohaiyo!!"  
  
Turning, he quickly ran to the door, ready to meet whoever it was that had just saved him from Kaoru's wrath. "Ohaiyo," he said, flinging the door open.  
  
The two women smiled at him, though one blushed significantly as she looked at him. Yahiko folded an arm behind his head. "Tae-san, Tsu…"  
  
"Ohaiyo," Kaoru said, reaching them and very slowly wrapping her hand around the back of his gi top. Yahiko tried not to choke.  
  
"Kaoru-chan!" Tae said seeing her there. "Why are you still here?"  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Don't you know what day it is?" Yahiko's eyes shot open. Tae wouldn't come all this way to… "It's the festival! Today… at the shrine down the road. You remember right?"  
  
Kaoru blinked. "Ah… gomen! I completely forgot!!"  
  
"Well go get changed," Tae said with a smile. "And don't forget to tell the girls!" Ayame and Suzume suddenly lost all interest in the wash and began to demand that they go to the festival.  
  
"You remember the plan right?" Tae said, as soon as Kaoru was out of earshot.  
  
"The plan…" Yahiko repeated with confusion.  
  
"Yes the… Tsubame-chan, you did tell him, right?" Tae said turning to the younger girl.  
  
Tsubame blushed slightly. "I tried to tell you… last night," Yahiko paused. No, he just remembered walking with Tsubame along the river in pure silence staring at her most of the… oh.  
  
Tae smiled at their embarrassment but decided to let it go. "You all know what today really is. And Tsubame and I decided that we were not going to let everyone mope around."  
  
"Actually, Tae-san," Tsubame said with a small voice, "it was mostly your… idea…" she trailed off under Tae's glare.  
  
"So we are going to this festival, meeting Megumi and Sano and having the best time we can. No talk about last year. Okay?"  
  
"Yeah," Yahiko said firmly. "We'll all have fun."  
  
"Have fun where?" Misao said, suddenly reappearing behind them.  
  
* * *  
  
A half-hour later, Kaoru and Misao walked out of the dojo in their summer kimonos. The air was still a bit cool but it was a bit warmer than the Cherry Blossom festival that occurred almost a six weeks ago. Kaoru held the little parasol in her hand as she closed the door. Nodding to the group they took off, Tae, Tsubame, and Yahiko in the lead followed by Kenshin and the two small girls tugging at his sleeves.  
  
In the back, Misao and Kaoru had the chance to talk softly about their investigation. Misao had spent most of the night with the Oniwabanshu as they researched the man they now knew as Waldschmidt.  
  
"He's from Germany," Misao said. "And he's here with a company but… it's not his family's company even though they are very rich too."  
  
"Really? Maybe he is doing a favor for someone," Kaoru said.  
  
Misao shook her head. "No, I think he and his family had a falling out. You know, Germany was also recently rebuilt under a new government. I think it may have had something to do with that."  
  
Kaoru sighed. "Is it me, or is the whole world changing around us?"  
  
Misao smiled. "Yeah, just not in the ways we want it to." She motioned forward to Kenshin. "Any breaking of the ice between you two?"  
  
Kaoru frowned. "It's not like that. I just… I just don't know what to say anymore."  
  
Misao nodded. "Then we have to figure this out fast. There has to be a reason why foreigners would be so interested in toppling the Meiji government."  
  
"There are many reason," Kaoru said softly, "to want to control something that is not yours. But we need Red's reasons, not everyone else's. Do you know where he was before he came to Japan?"  
  
"Indochine," Misao said. "It the part of Asia that's occupied by the French. Oh! The Germany unification… part of it was the result of them fighting a war with France."  
  
"So maybe all that talk about France yesterday wasn't as trivial as I thought," Kaoru said. "Maybe Germany is looking for another place to fight them and decided Japan would be a good place to set up camp."  
  
"It might make sense," Misao said. "To fight against Indochine, Germany would need its own colony here." She paused. "It still doesn't add up somehow. What could one German businessman do? More importantly, why would he do it?"  
  
"Misao!" Tae called from the front of the group. "Can you come up her for a moment?" Misao's brow furrowed but looking over at Kaoru, she realized the older girl was lost in thought.  
  
"Misao," Tae said with a smile, "what were you and Kaoru talking about?"  
  
Misao paused before she smiled and answered. "European history."  
  
"Of course you were," Tae said, not believing her. "Misao-chan, you know what today is?"  
  
"Ah…festival day?" Misao asked.  
  
Tae looked over her shoulder at Kenshin and Kaoru. "Today is the day we make sure that those two are happy. So no more talking about whatever it was you were talking about. Understand?"  
  
Misao's brow furrowed. What the heck was so important about today? Still, looking over at Kaoru, she couldn't help but agree that the girl needed some serious cheering up. So whatever the reason, Misao quickly nodded in agreement.  
  
* * *  
  
"You're too brutish to do it right."  
  
"Oi! Listen up megitsune. I am a master of delicate procedures. These hands have tossed winning die…"  
  
"When was that, tori-atama? Before the Meiji restoration??"  
  
Sano frowned and tried to ignore the gloating woman next to him. "One more please." The man smiled and reached forward to grab the money. He handed Sano a small metal hoop with a piece of paper covering the opening.  
  
Sano flexed his neck, cracked a few knuckles and then stared at the water. Several little gold fish sprinted around the small tub. Picking one, he grabbed his net and moved in for the kill.  
  
The paper broke the moment it hit the water. "NANI??" Sano cried, raising the metal hoop.  
  
"Told you," Megumi said from behind him. Sano head shrank slightly in anger. "I guess I don't need a fish that badly."  
  
"And who," Sano said turning around to face her, "said that you would get it if I won."  
  
"Well, it's not like you could take care of a pet," Megumi said.  
  
"Maybe I was going to give it to someone else," Sano said.  
  
"Like who?" Megumi asked with a small smile. "A girl??"  
  
"Feh," Sano said, turning back to the tub.  
  
"Ah!" Megumi said seeing the group. "Over here, Ken-san!" she said, emphasizing the last bit while the little fox ears came out. Sano clenched his fist and brought out a few more coins.  
  
Several broken papers later, Sano was about to give up when Yahiko appeared behind him. "What are you trying to do?" Yahiko asked.  
  
"What does it look like!" Sano yelled.  
  
"It looks like you're just wasting your money," Yahiko replied.  
  
"Really? Let's see you try!"  
  
Yahiko balked a bit, realizing that he didn't have any money with him. Kaoru saw the situation unfolding and quickly intervened. "Here Yahiko," she said handing him some coins. "For… teaching those students a few weeks ago," she added, knowing the boy rarely took charity.  
  
Yahiko nodded a thanks to Kaoru, not just for the money but he letting him have some pride. He handed over a coin to the man. "All the fish you catch before the net breaks are your," the man said, giving him the paper net.  
  
Yahiko nodded and kneeled in front of the tank. He paused, staring at the fish before suddenly moving his net at an incredible speed. Some of the water splashed on Sano and the older man looked like he was about to pound the younger boy.  
  
The only problem was that Yahiko's hands were full at the moment. Full of fish. With a smile, he looked over at Sano.  
  
"Ah… that's very good sir," the man said. "You've managed to… catch them… all." The little man looked a bit upset at the prospect of losing all his profits so early in the day.  
  
"I just need one," Yahiko said, dropping most of the fish back into the tank. The man nodded with relief and handing him a small glass bowl with water. Yahiko deposited the fish in the bowl.  
  
Megumi looked at him with a smile, but the younger boy passed her by and handed the bowl to Tsubame. "You said you wanted a pet," he said somewhat lamely. Tsubame smiled and took the bowl from him with a blush.  
  
"That is so adorable," Misao said with a smile on her face. Kaoru looked over at the young ninja and had to smile. "Come on! Let's go get some octopus balls," she said dragging her towards the crowd, not noticing Kaoru's face fault.  
  
* * *  
  
The theme of the festival was obvious. Wisteria. Kaoru was knee deep in the flowers as she and Misao pushed through the crowd. It was a sea of color as people carried by bunches of the flower.  
  
Misao giggled and grabbed a few from a vendor, leaving Kaoru to quickly pay for it. Misao threaded the flowers in Kaoru's hair with a smile and dragged her over to a small pond where she could see the work.  
  
Kaoru reached up and touched the floors with a smile. After several seconds of insistent cries from Misao, Kaoru repeated the process for Misao, letting the little purple petals rest between the folds of her braid.  
  
After getting a good look at herself, Misao took off, heading back towards the rest of the group. Spinning around, she showed off the work, earning a few cries of jealousy from Ayame and Suzume.  
  
Before she could react, Kaoru found herself handing out more money for them to get more flowers. She watched them disappear into the crowd, lacing her fingers in front of her with a small smile.  
  
This what the world should be like always, she thought. There were children running across the open area of the shrine, laughter filled the area. A few folk dancers were setting up as people excitedly gathered around them. Young couples walked hand in hand around the fringes of the festival, ducking behind the trees for a quick kiss before anyone realized they were gone. The older generation sat on the stone benches exchanging stories about festivals before.  
  
The gentle swing breeze played with the trees, adding the feeling of gaiety. Tokyo was happy again, Kaoru realized. It was finally beginning to let the past go and remember what it was like to be at peace. Looking down at her hands, she smiled slight. Tae tried to keep a secret, but Kaoru knew very well what was going on. And what this day way.  
  
Only this time…  
  
She looked over, watching her rurouni play with Ayame and Suzume. They seemed intent on having him sport a few flowers in his hair, much to the amusement of Sano. Megumi held her fish bowl in her hand, watching the scene play out with the slightest smile. And Tsubame (that lucky girl) was getting flowers in addition to fish bowl she held.  
  
If it could always be like this… If it could just stay like this… If she could just close her eyes and make everything else go away and just live forever in this moment…  
  
The group was waving her over. Kaoru smiled and waved, making her way slowly towards them pushing the sad thoughts behind her. She reached them and saw Kenshin smiling at her. She smiled back and knew that things, at least for the moment, were back to their normal, if unrequited, self. It was what she loved the most about him, his ability to instantly return things to normal with a smile.  
  
Misao laughed and hugged the little girls. She might not have been able to read Kaoru's thoughts but Misao was thinking the same thing. This was perfect. Almost perfect, in her world. There was just…  
  
"Aoshi!" Kaoru suddenly cried, looking over Misao's shoulder. Misao turned and saw the familiar form walking towards them. The wind picked up and the petals from the wisteria filled the air. It was perfect, she realized. Just perfect.  
  
"AOSHI-SAMA!" She said, launching herself towards him to administer a monster strength glomp. 


	8. Chapter 7 : The Shrine

"Misao!!" Kaoru called again.  
  
"Coming!"  
  
Kaoru sighed and tapped the letter on her hands. Sure she was coming. Like she was coming the last ten times that Kaoru had called her. It was getting late and the prospect of an early morning almost made Kaoru rip open the letter herself.  
  
But a moment later, Misao came in with a big smile on her face. It hadn't left her face since they went back home from the Wisteria festival and Kaoru was positive that it had something to do with whom they brought home with them.  
  
"Okay, okay," Misao said. "Read the letter!"  
  
Kaoru unfolded the paper with a smile. "Looks like she wrote it herself."  
  
~~~  
  
Kaoru-chan,  
  
I am writing this myself so please excuse the mistakes. Omasu has been a very good teacher but I am not the best student.  
  
I am still working at the restaurant next door. It has become very popular and a few politicians stopped by last week. I used the money I made to take Shiro out. We went to dinner and a play and it was very nice. I have to go help them clean the Aoiya but I will write again soon.  
  
Nanao  
  
~~~  
  
Kaoru and Misao paused and then both let out big sighs.  
  
"She has a lot of guts," Misao said.  
  
"I could never do that," Kaoru added.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
Looking up, the two girls saw Kenshin standing in the door. A couple of sweat drops later, they both stood up and bounded out the door, giggling as they disappeared in the courtyard.  
  
Kenshin smiled, realizing he'd probably never know and turned back towards the kitchen. Aoshi met him half way there, finally separated from his fan club of one. Kenshin's smile slowly disappeared as he saw the seriousness of Aoshi's expression, though come to think of it, it's not as if he looked any different.  
  
"Thank you for returning my inquiry quickly," Kenshin said. "Though I didn't expect you to come to Tokyo to answer it."  
  
"Your letter arrived just as one from the Tokyo Oniwabanshu arrived at the Aoiya for Okina."  
  
"From the Oniwabanshu here?"  
  
"Yes," Aoshi said looking out into the courtyard where Kaoru and Misao were still laughing. "They wanted to know if there was a foreign conspiracy they should know about."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"Misao has been asking them discreetly for information about several high ranking foreigners." What Aoshi didn't voice was that the information she was asking for was not as disturbing as how long it took them to figure out what was going on. Misao was getting to be very skillful but in this case, she still didn't know what she was dealing with.  
  
"Did she ask about a red-haired man?"  
  
"Waldschmidt," Aoshi replied. "That's what made them send the letter. He's not exactly the image of a perfect gentlemen and he's been involved with some very shadowy things. Did you hear about the building that was raided a while back?"  
  
"The one with the explosives, yes, I read about it."  
  
"Well, there was talk that he was involved."  
  
Kenshin frowned. There were many reasons to dislike the man and Aoshi was only compounded on them. More than ever, he was determined to make sure that Kaoru did not have any more contact with him.  
  
"There's more," Aoshi said. "Something that was never reported in the papers. Do you know how they found the building?"  
  
"I thought a policeman saw something suspicious and."  
  
"No," Aoshi said. "At least not according to witnesses in the area. They saw two figures being chased by the terrorists." He looked out into the courtyard where Misao and Kaoru were talking silently until they erupted with sudden fits of laughter. "One with a long black braid, one with a tall black ponytail. Both female. And they escaped by jumping in the river."  
  
Kenshin followed Aoshi's glance. It was beginning to make perfect sense now. The two of them coming home drenched and in black. The gunshot residue in Kaoru's shirt. There was only one thing missing. Why? Why were they doing this? If the Tokyo Oniwabanshu was asking for Okina's help, there was no way that it was a job for them, like Misao had said.  
  
* * *  
  
The weeks slowly passed by and May rolled into June. The temperature slowly got warmer and Kaoru found herself embraced in the warmth of spring and the thoughts of an upcoming birthday. There were no more jobs after that last party. Apparently, many foreigners were participating in a religious holiday and the town was empty of them until it was over. And with the constant secret vigil of Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko, Kaoru rarely found a moment alone. Misao was a bit luckier. She could still escape their watch but lately Aoshi had started disappearing after she had left to go 'meditate'.  
  
The gig was up, Kaoru realized. However considering they had not said anything out right, she knew they didn't know the reason why. But with them slowly closing the circle around her, she was going to be useless to the Emperor pretty soon. Still, she knew that coming clean with the men meant putting them all in the line of danger.  
  
The only release she got was when Abe stopped by. The older gentleman seemed to like coming to the dojo to visit. And sensing her cabin fever, he often took her for walks in the town, his two personal bodyguards being enough to keep the others out of her hair for a bit. But he stopped coming suddenly and for the rest of May, Kaoru wondered if he had gone home without telling her.  
  
Until one day in early June, Abe appeared once more, apologizing for being away.  
  
"There was a problem in Hokkaido and they wanted an engineer to help them out."  
  
"So that's what you do," Kaoru said.  
  
Abe smiled and nodded, letting the warm summer sunlight hit his glasses. "It's good to be back, though," he said with a smile. "I've grown quite fond of Tokyo, now that she's grown out of her turbulent start.  
  
"I remember when it was still not safe to walk the streets," he continued. "And foreigners were still shunned by everyone. You know, your father was the first Japanese who did not talk down to me. It was like it didn't matter where I had come from."  
  
Kaoru smiled. "It's sort of the family motto," she said. "To accept without judging a person based on their past."  
  
"It's a nice motto," Abe replied. "And one that is quite befitting of you and your father."  
  
Kaoru smiled slightly. "It's nice to speak to someone who knew him from when I was younger."  
  
"I'm sorry," Abe said. "About your father."  
  
Kaoru smiled. "It's all right. It's been a while and. and I have a new family now."  
  
Abe nodded. "I saw. Quite a bunch they are."  
  
Kaoru laughed. "That's very. political of you."  
  
"Bah," Abe said. "Don't you dare compare me to those pompous windbags. I'm sorry that of all the wonders we could have brought to Japan, we had to bring our political idiocies first."  
  
They walked in silence for a few moments longer before, Kaoru realized that Abe was out of breath. "Do you want to sit down?" she asked.  
  
"Not just yet, I want to show you something first," he said, pulling her along. Kaoru's brow furrowed in confusion but she followed silently. Abe wove his way through streets that Kaoru did not think he could possibly know until they finally came to a small shrine hidden in the streets.  
  
When they finally arrived, Abe took a seat on a bench while Kaoru walked to the small fountain to wash her hands. Outside, the two bodyguards took silent positions by the door. As soon as Kaoru was done, she walked over to Abe with a confused look on his face.  
  
"This seems rather out of the way," Kaoru said.  
  
Abe laughed a bit. "It is, isn't it? I told your father that the same thing when he brought me here, about five years ago. And you know what he said?" Kaoru shook her head.  
  
~~~  
  
The bearded man laughed. "Yes, it is a bit far but. I don't come here for the shrine only."  
  
A younger looking Abe examined the courtyard, trying to find the secret that must somehow be contained within the four walls. But all Abe could see were some dilapidated buildings with weeds growing up them.  
  
"Then what?" Abe finally asked.  
  
"That window," the man said pointing to one of the buildings.  
  
"It's not very special," Abe said with a smile.  
  
"Not anymore. It's because I took what was beautiful from it and brought it home with me." He smiled. "She ignored me, for three months, you know, before she finally came down. But after that, I knew I had her."  
  
Abe nodded. "Women are like that. Always playing hard to get. Someday, I will show you where I first met my wife."  
  
The man's smile faded. "You will show Kaoru faster than you will me."  
  
Abe frowned. "I thought that that might be what this is about." Abe stood up and folded his hands behind his back. "This has to do with why they are sending so many of us home."  
  
The man nodded slowly, looking up at the empty window.  
  
"No one is sure when it may happen but. they wanted to be safe. I know Kaoru is capable of taking care of herself and that removing her from her home country would be cruel but. but if something should happen and Japan is no longer safe."  
  
"She is always welcome in my home," Abe finished. "But come now, no more talk of what will not come to pass. With men like you aiding the Japanese government, I don't think a single one of those rumors will come to fruition."  
  
"I hope you are right," he replied.  
  
"Of course I am. I will return in a year or so and you and I will enjoy tea in a peaceful Tokyo once more."  
  
~~~  
  
Kaoru's eyes were locked on the ground. "Five years ago."  
  
"Yes," Abe said. "I never got to share that cup of tea with him. By the time I came back, he was gone."  
  
"What did he mean," Kaoru said softly. "About Japan being no longer safe?"  
  
Abe sighed. "There were rumors back then of a foreign backed revolt stirring in Kyoto. So the Japanese government forced a lot of us foreigners back home while they rooted out the problem. They were largely successful but part of Tokyo was destroyed as a result."  
  
Kaoru paused, her mind racing through memories. She remembered the sudden departure of foreigners, the tensions rising in the south and finally the fires that broke out in Tokyo that night her father had said good-bye and never returned.  
  
"Abe-san!" Abe turned quickly to see his two guards allowing a small man through. "You wanted to know about the damn in Takayama. It's not holding and they're afraid it's going to break in a few days."  
  
Abe frowned. "I told them that that German advisor didn't know what he was talking about. Kamiya-san. I didn't want to leave you like this. There is more I wanted to say. But."  
  
Kaoru's eyes blinked. "No," she said. "No, it's fine. I knew he had gone out to fight the fires but I didn't know.." she trailed off.  
  
Abe nodded and took her arm gently. "I just wanted you to know that before. before you followed the same path."  
  
Kaoru's head shot up and she looked at Abe, suddenly realizing what he was saying. But before she could ask another question, he was gone.  
  
* * *  
  
Misao carefully peeked out of her room at the Kamiya dojo, carefully cataloguing where everyone was. Kenshin was doing laundry, Sano was eating something Megumi had brought and Yahiko was hitting the practice dummy. Aoshi was no where in sight, but knowing him he was probably off meditating.  
  
Misao sighed, wishing her time in Tokyo had a bit more romance to it. But most of the time, she had spent gathering more information than figuring out why the love of her life wouldn't give her the time of day.  
  
Carefully, she slid out of her door and moved towards the dojo, moving silently across the wooden floor and exiting through the back entrance. She jumped and crawled up the wall, throwing herself over and landing on the ground with a small thud. She jogged a few meters before ducking in an alleyway and watching the wall of the Kamiya compound to see if anyone had followed her.  
  
After a few minutes, she realized she was in the clear and started to walk down the alley, sidestepping the line of homeless who had sought comfort from the heat in the shade. The smell was horrible but Misao didn't stay around for too long.  
  
Of course, if she had just waited a few seconds longer, she might have seen one of those bums stand up and shed his tattered robe before going after her. But instead, Misao was slowly working her way into the crowd, avoiding the vendors who were trying to sell her things and the small hands that tried to swipe her purse. She finally broke away from the main street and started to head through the side ones. She had memorized the path by now and she could probably do it without looking at this point.  
  
But something felt wrong this time. Misao skidded to a stop and paused, looking over her shoulder but finding only darkness behind her. She frowned and changed her path, trying to see if there was someone following her.  
  
Several blocks later, Misao's suspicions were confirmed. And whoever it was, they were really sloppy. So much for hoping that Aoshi might actually care enough to see where she kept going. After all, of all the people at Kaoru's home, he was the only one that might be able to keep up with her.  
  
Seeing her chance, she quietly slid into a side alley and waited. A second later, a man ran by the alley, still trying to pursue her. Misao smiled. "Amateur," she said.  
  
"Exactly what I was thinking."  
  
Misao's eyes opened wide and she turned around quickly, feeling a cloth fall across her mouth. A second later, she found herself unable to stay awake and quickly fell into darkness. Throwing the limp body over his shoulder, the man open a trap door on the floor and slipped down the stairs, closing it behind him just before Aoshi reached the side street.  
  
He had found that Misao always used the same alleyway in her escape and had been waiting there for the past several weeks, tracking her movements. But this time, he had seen someone else start tailing her. He had held back, watching the man clumsily move after Misao. It had become obvious she knew she was being followed and naturally she had switched her path.  
  
Only. the man was almost too perfect at being clumsy. And all too late, Aoshi had realized it was an act and that man had actually herded her someplace. He pressed a hand against the walls around him but felt nothing. Even the floor was perfectly flat. The two had just disappeared.  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru walked home, her mind heavy with thoughts. For years, she had an image of her father leaving to fight some fires that had broken out. But never had the last image had such meaning. The fires were no accident and her father's death.  
  
Then there was what Abe said, that she should not follow the same path her father had. Did that mean that the revolt of the past was in someway related to the one that the Emperor feared today? Was her father somehow involved in the investigation back then?  
  
Kaoru's feet had taken her to the dojo's door, even if her mind was not concentrating on the way there. She reached forward to open the door when something whizzed by her ear. She ducked quickly, preparing to jump to avoid an attack. But no attack ever came.  
  
Looking up she saw the arrow embedded in the door, a piece of paper wrapped around it. Carefully, she dislodged it and pulled the piece of paper off, unrolling it so she could read it.  
  
~ The time has come to clear all debts. Meet me on the field across the bridge from where you are right now. Tell no one or the little weasel will suffer. ~  
  
Kaoru gripped the note in her hand. Misao! No, it might be a trap but. but she couldn't take the chance that Misao might be in real danger. She threw the door open and ran towards her room, startling the people still there.  
  
"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin said, turning from the laundry to see her run.  
  
"Gomen!" she said, running towards her room. "I have a lesson and I need to get ready." She slid the door shut before any of them could respond. She tore off her kimono, quickly grabbing the bandages from off her table and wrapping the length of her chest in it. She threw on her top and then carefully unfolded her hakama, tying the belt securely. She grabbed her bokken and pulled the ribbon off her hair.  
  
The moment she got outside, she knew there would be trouble. She saw Sano stand up and realized they were going to try to trap her again.  
  
She took off. "I'm very sorry!" she called out, trying to speak in one breath as she headed for the door, "but I have to run. I'll be back for dinner so don't worry. Sorry again."  
  
"Oi." Sano said, finally getting a word in edgewise. But by then, Kaoru had slipped out the door. "Anyone else have a bad feeling about this?"  
  
The door to the dojo slid open and Aoshi came in, having slipped in through the back.  
  
"Did Misao come back?" he asked, looking at the assembled group.  
  
"No," Yahiko replied. "I didn't even know she was gone."  
  
Aoshi's face flickered momentarily, a bit of disappointment there before his stoicism returned. "She was being followed by a couple of men and I lost track of her." He paused. "Shouldn't Kaoru be back by now?"  
  
"She did come back," Yahiko said. "But said she was late for a lesson."  
  
In Kenshin's mind, he played out the scene that had happened a few minutes before. Kaoru running in, changing in record time and then bolting before any of them could say anything. It might have all been explained by her story.  
  
But.  
  
"Her bokken," Kenshin said, suddenly seeing the wooden sword in his mental picture.  
  
Yahiko's eyes opened. "She would have taken the shinai for a lesson. She always uses the practice sword to teach. She only uses the bokken to fight."  
  
"Damn," Sano managed to mutter before they all took off.  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru's heart was pounding as she pushed herself up the hill to the secluded dueling field. Hand on her bokken, she looked around, waiting for some sign of trouble. Instead, she found Red, Erica and a dozen armed men keeping watch over Misao. The younger girl looked up miserably, her hands tied behind her back, her legs bound at the ankle and a gag around her mouth.  
  
"I'm glad you came," Red said. "I was growing impatient."  
  
"Let Misao go," Kaoru said, slowly pulling the bokken out of her belt. "This doesn't have anything to do with her."  
  
"Well actually it does," he said, "since she is fifty percent of this little investigation team. And I thought I had made it clear that you should stay out of my affairs. But apparently this one," he said motioning to Misao, "has still been snooping around."  
  
Erica said something quickly and Misao's eyes shot open. Kaoru's grip on the bokken tightened. Misao would understand what the American girl had just said and if it caused that bad a reaction, then Kaoru was going to have be prepared. Red shrugged and motioned towards Kaoru.  
  
Erica smiled and reached out a hand, waiting for a guard to place the long, thin sword there. Great, Kaoru thought. Apparently, Erica wanted a rematch. And after what Abe had said, she didn't know if she could hurt the other girl.  
  
Erica swung the sword a few times and suddenly Misao's head whipped back. When she turned forward again, a thin red line appeared on her forehead and Erica turned back toward Kaoru with a smile. Kaoru's feet shifted into an attack pose, any doubt in her mind fleeing as the blond girl approached.  
  
As before, Erica made the first move lunging forward. Kaoru's bokken came up and she strafed right, parrying the sword attack and giving her room for an attack. But Erica moved quickly and used her free hand to push the wooden sword away.  
  
She's been practicing, Kaoru realized backing up slowly and taking position in front of the blond. Her feet shifted and Kaoru attacked first, taking the other girl off guard. The small sword bent back when it met with the tip of Kaoru's bokken. Kaoru quickly shot her left arm forward, bringing the hilt of the sword towards Erica's head for a clean temple shot. But the blond ducked at the last moment and the two opponents spun apart.  
  
Kaoru dug in, ready for the next attack when she heard movement in the brush. The assembled group turned to the foliage just as Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko broke through. Kaoru's mad dash may not have left them any chance to catch up but it had left a string of witness behind.  
  
"Kaoru!" Yahiko called out.  
  
"Ah ah," Red called out, pulling a pistol from his side and bringing it to touch the side of Misao's head. "Stay right there."  
  
"Please, just do as he says," Kaoru said, turning slightly to face them, keeping one eye on Erica. "I can do this," she said, her other eye resting on Kenshin. He looked torn, seeing the metal of Erica's sword glittering in the sunlight, the determination of Kaoru's stance and the gun pointed right at Misao's head.  
  
"That's right," Red said. "Let the little girls have their fight."  
  
Kaoru broke her gaze at Kenshin and looked over at Red. "I'm not a little girl," she said firmly, her voice holding firm and strong. "I am Kamiya Kaoru, assistant master of the Kasshin Kamiya Ryu. I have held a sword since I was five. I have fought to save my dojo and my friends many times. I have dueled with a member of the Juppongatana in Kyoto and won. And I will win now with the sword that protects." She turned to Erica. "And I'll protect you too, even if it means hurting you before I can take you back to Abraham."  
  
Erica's face faltered at the familiar name. But it hardened again, anger in it stronger than before. She screamed and lunged forward, silver sword striking and chipping a piece of the bokken. Erica swung back, her attacks no longer as smooth as before but powered by a fury that Kaoru could not match.  
  
"Kenshin!" Yahiko said, seeing her fall back. "Do something!"  
  
Kenshin's hand gripped tightly on the hilt, his mind racing to find a solution that didn't involve someone getting killed. But then. Kaoru had spoken the truth. She was a qualified fighter. And she had asked him to trust her. How many times had she trusted him in a fight?  
  
Erica's attack had degraded into a hack and slash approach until Kaoru finally saw her chance. Erica brought the sword up before swinging it downwards to hit Kaoru's head.  
  
"HADOME!" Kaoru cried, crossing her wrists and reaching up. Her arms opened and she caught the blade with the back of her hands. Erica was caught off balance and Kaoru realized she couldn't waste a second.  
  
"HAWATARI!" she called, sliding her hands down and then thrusting upward. Erica's head snapped back from the impact before she collapsed to the ground.  
  
"Yeah Kaoru!" Yahiko called, recognizing the succession technique.  
  
"Woah, jou-chan nice move," Sano said, watching Kaoru kneel down by the other girl.  
  
"I should have known," Red said watching the scene play out. "Of course, I had a back-up plan." He brought the gun around quickly and fired but it was too late. He felt his hand snap back and gun fired harmlessly into the air. He realized he probably should have been watching the little girl next to him a bit closer.  
  
Misao let the ropes fall as she attacked. Basic skill of the Oniwabanshu, being able to escape being tied up. It was just a good thing that Kaoru put on such as show so no one realized what was going on.  
  
There was a clash of metal behind and Misao turned around to find one of the armed men's sword inches from her head, stopped only by a kodachi. Looking up, she saw Aoshi already moving with the second kodachi to finish the attack. Misao tore her glance away and back at Red who was already retreating into the forest as the remaining three members of the Kenshin- gumi started after him.  
  
Kenshin took off first, leaving Sano and Yahiko behind to deal with the sudden rush of armed guards. Sano smiled stopping his chase and taking a fighting stance. Cracking a few knuckles, he watched them approach and waited until they were within arms reach before attacking.  
  
Yahiko frowned and quickly drew his shinai. He watched Kenshin disappear into the trees around the field and knew he would be of no use there. So he quickly retreated and took a position next to Kaoru. She had proved her dedication to the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and it was his turn now.  
  
Kenshin slid to stop, realizing he was the only one pursuing Red. The foreigner stopped and turned around with a smile. Kenshin frowned reaching for his sword.  
  
"Yes, you are the only one that still is more concerned with me then the twelve well armed guards left to hack the rest of the group down to bits." As if on queue, a feminine scream split the air.  
  
"Kaoru," Kenshin said, suddenly turning on his heel and ran back towards the field. Red merely smiled and continued to walk away.  
  
Kaoru tried again but she was simply too tired from her fight with Erica to have any power left in her blow. And worse, the men Red left behind were well trained. They fought with precision and skill that would rival soldiers of the imperial army. Kaoru moved to block a sword and her worst fear was realized. The wood shattered, the numerous blows of metal finally cutting into the wood. Kaoru's arms flew to either side from the impact and her chest was completely exposed. The guard drew back his sword with a yell and Kaoru screamed as it came towards her, desperately bringing her arms forward to block the blow.  
  
The rest of the group barely had time to blink from the moment that Kaoru screamed to the moment that the guard's body flew forward from the blast of Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi Do-Ryu-Sen. Kaoru herself barely had time to register what had happened when she felt herself being yanked upward and pushed until she was behind a blur of red and purple. It was a simple choice, really. Seeing one of their comrades suddenly fly forward without being touched by a sword made the rest of the guards realize that they may be up against something not normal. Besides, they were all harboring numerous cuts and bruises from the rest of the Kenshin-gumi. A silent retreat order was given and those that could stand disappeared into the brush.  
  
In front of her, Kaoru watched the heaving form of Kenshin slowly started to calm down. Megumi's words were pounding in her head. This wasn't supposed to happen, no one else was supposed to fight. She reached a hand forward and placed it on his shoulder. "Kenshin?" she asked softly.  
  
He turned, his eyes catching the concern in her blue ones. "It's all right," he said. "I'm fine." But his knee decided otherwise and suddenly collapsed under him. Kaoru managed to control the fall slightly but turned slightly as she tried to steady him.  
  
That's when she saw it. A long straight line of destruction from the depth of the forest to where she was standing now. And she could only wonder exactly how fast he had moved to create that.  
  
* * *  
  
"This is intolerable," Abe said, watching the men slowly put Erica in the carriage in front of the Kamiya dojo. "He has gone too far this time."  
  
"I'm sorry that I couldn't help her in another way," Kaoru said softly.  
  
"My dear, I don't blame you at all. I knew he was a bad influence and this time, I am going to make sure that something is done about it. I'll speak to my contacts in the Japanese government. And in a month, I'll have a chance to talk to tell this story to one of the most powerful men in this country."  
  
"Thank you, Abe," Kaoru said with a bow.  
  
"Go, get some sleep. We'll talk again later," he said, climbing into the carriage. Kaoru stood at the door and watched the carriage disappear.  
  
"It's over right?"  
  
Turning slightly, she saw Megumi with her arms crossed. "Not yet," Kaoru said softly. "But it will be shortly."  
  
"Good," the doctor said. "That burst of speed really did a number on his legs. I'm surprised he was still standing after it, but it is Kenshin after all and he might just be as stubborn as you."  
  
"I'm sorry Megumi," Kaoru replied. "I tried, I tried to keep him out of the fight but."  
  
Megumi softened slightly. "It's all right Kaoru. It's just. he really doesn't have any one else to look after him but you and me. Everyone else is so sure he'll always stay the way he was in Kyoto." Megumi trailed off readopting her normal demur. "You need to get so rest. All of you need a lot of rest."  
  
"Hey Jou-chan!! Come on, you're missing all the fun!" Sano called from the porch of the dojo, holding up a bottle of sake.  
  
"NO!" Megumi yelled walking over to him. "I told you that you needed to rest and partying is not what I consider resting."  
  
Sano laughed. "Come have some sake and then we'll talk about relaxing."  
  
"You idiotic rooster-head! Why don't you ever listen to what I say!!" Megumi said before chasing him back into the dojo.  
  
Kaoru sighed and turned to lock the door when she heard footsteps to her right. She let the lock fall, knowing who it was. She turned letting her hands fall down to her lap. She mustered up the best smile she could, knowing full well that he had probably heard most of her conversation.  
  
Kenshin looked at her, watching her emotions play out underneath the moonlight. Watching her try to smile banished any thought he had of chastising, albeit a gentle non-offensive Kenshin style chastising, her on running away without tell them what was going on.  
  
Besides, if he had heard right then the reason she was doing this.was for him.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said suddenly, as if reading her mind. "But I didn't think I had much of a choice, what with Misao and." she trailed off. Well it sounded just as pathetic as she thought it would.  
  
"Kaoru-dono." Kenshin started. "It's. it's over," he said finally. Kaoru sighed in relief. It was just like him not to push things. "Demo."  
  
Kaoru looked up, realizing she might not be out of the woods yet. "What Kenshin?" she asked.  
  
He smiled slightly. "You really fought well today." Her face broke into a huge smile, her cheeks getting a bit red.  
  
"Don't worry," she said, the smile starting to fade into a bit more serious look, "I don't think any of us will even come close to you."  
  
"It's nice to know I might still be needed around here," he said, with a small laugh. He had felt the strength in his legs go out after the fight. And he knew what Megumi had been saying behind his back. It was almost a little too close to home to say something like that.  
  
"Of course, you'll always be needed here," Kaoru said with a smile. "I couldn't imagine life without you around," she said. There was silence. Kaoru was fighting to maintain her smile.  
  
BAKA! You just say that out loud!!!  
  
"I mean," she said, trying to find the right words, "who would do the laundry and cook and."  
  
"Kaoru," he said, reaching forward and taking her arm.  
  
If holding her smile had been hard enough before, trying to maintain her balance right now was a feat of godlike strength. Every ounce of her was just ready to melt into a small puddle of goo and. wait a minute, there hadn't been a dono after her name. She barely heard him take a step forward over the pounding of her heart.  
  
This was it. Almost two years and it was finally going to happen. She just had to maintain consciousness for a few more minutes. But she looked up and saw those violet eyes staring right into hers and realized what a mistake it had been to do what she did. But oh boy, was it a nice mistake to make. The breeze caught his hair and it came forward brushing slightly against her cheek and suddenly she realized how close they were to.  
  
"KAORU-CHAN!"  
  
Kenshin and Kaoru blinked, the spell broken by the shrill voice that could only belong to Misao. He slowly let her go as the little ninja bounded up to them.  
  
"Kaoru-chan!" she said reaching them.  
  
"Hai." Kaoru said trying to hide the mixture of anger and disappointment in her voice.  
  
"Nanao wrote again! It was on the table inside. It must have arrived after we all left. She and Shiro are getting married!!"  
  
"Nani?" she said, snatching the letter from Misao.  
  
Reading it over, she couldn't help but marvel in the irony of it all. Nanao had managed to accomplish in three short months what Kaoru had been working on for two years to get to and it was just ruined by.  
  
"She wants us to come," Kaoru said finally getting to that point of the letter.  
  
"Yeah!" Misao said happily. "Won't that be nice!! A wedding in early July in the middle of Kyoto! It'll be great. We have almost a month to plan. We can get new kimonos and hair clips and." Misao paused and looked at the scene. "Ah. sorry, did I interrupt something?" 


	9. Chapter 8 : The Fire

Kaoru watched Misao dash down the streets with a sigh. The younger girl's exuberance still amazed her. It had only been two short days since she had been held captive by Red and it was like nothing had happened at all. The only sign was the healing red mark on her forehead to which Misao could only say, "It's ruining my perfect complexion."  
  
Since news had reached them of the impending wedding in Kyoto, the Kamiya household had been in a bit of an uproar. Which was just as well. The missed moment between her and Kenshin would have just stretched into an uncomfortable silence if it hadn't been for the excitement.  
  
"Kaoru! I found it!!"  
  
Kaoru walked up and looked at where Misao was pointing. The elegant hair brooch sat in the display case, the proprietor smiling as the two girls looked it over.  
  
"Good choice," Kaoru said, reaching in and paying for it. "Nanao will just love it."  
  
"Okay, now we have to get something for us!" Misao said, grabbing Kaoru's hand and dragging her down the street. Kaoru sighed slightly and let the younger girl dragged her forward. She barely got to glimpse the stores as she stumbled down the road. But she finally stopped short in front of one of the stores.  
  
"Nani, Kaoru?" Misao said, as they came to a stop. She looked at the window and got a wicked look on her face. "Kaoru. this is a man's shop."  
  
"Hai," Kaoru replied looking inside.  
  
Misao arched an eyebrow. "Kaoru-chan. are you trying to tell me something?"  
  
"Eh?" Kaoru said and then suddenly blushing when she understood. "No! Nothing like that I was just."  
  
Misao's eyes suddenly shot open and she got a devilish little smile on her face. "Ano. who are you looking for. could it be a certain red-headed."  
  
"Misao!" Kaoru snapped, looking around in the street to see if there was anyone there. "Stop that or I start picking on you about Aoshi."  
  
Misao snickered. "I don't think there's a single person left in Tokyo that doesn't know the way I feel. well, except for the only one that matters."  
  
"Misao." Kaoru said softly, watching the girl's happiness fall a bit.  
  
"Demo," she said softly, "demo. KAORU IS BUYING SOMETHING FOR."  
  
Kaoru moved quickly and tackled the younger girl, much to the surprise of passerby. A few almost stopped to help out but the two girls were already engulfed in giggles by then.  
  
* * *  
  
Several hours later, Yahiko watched in surprise as Kaoru and Misao walked through the Kamiya dojo holding several packages in their arms.  
  
"I thought you were just going to buy something for Nanao!" he cried, watching them waddle towards him.  
  
"There were such nice things today," Kaoru said with a smile. "And we had some money left over."  
  
"Feh," Yahiko said. "Women. The way you shop, you're going to support the economy by yourselves."  
  
Misao and Kaoru shot him an angry look before looking slyly at each other. "All right, Yahiko," Kaoru said walking away. "Then we'll keep what we got you for ourselves."  
  
"Yeah," Misao said, holding her nose in the air. "I'm sure we'll find someone else who."  
  
"What is it??" Yahiko said, suddenly bounding around them trying to peak in the packages. The two girls laughed and Yahiko frowned. "I should have known you were lying."  
  
"I wasn't," Kaoru said walking towards her room and using a foot to slide open the door. She dropped all the packages on the ground. She rifled through until she found what she wanted and presented the package to Yahiko.  
  
The young boy tore through the paper with glee and then his face suddenly fell. "Sandals. you got me sandals."  
  
"Aren't they nice!" Kaoru said with a smile. She lifted her kimono a bit. "I got a few pairs too!"  
  
Yahiko glowered and stomped off. "I can't believe it! Shoes!!"  
  
"Nani, Yahiko?" Kenshin asked as he, Aoshi and Sano walked inside the dojo, back from their fishing expedition.  
  
"Kaoru went shopping," he explained. "She gets loads of stuff and what does she buy me? A pair of shoes."  
  
"Feh," Sano said, "what did you expect. Despite her lack of class and grace, Kaoru is a girl and all they want are."  
  
The word he was attempting to say never made it out of his mouth. But the shoe suddenly lodged in there filled in the silence perfectly.  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru sneezed as the dust in the warehouse filled the air. The large sack dropped to the ground with a resounding thud. With Misao and Aoshi here, they were going to need the extra luggage to drag their stuff to Kyoto. Looking down at the sack, she wondered if they could stuff Sano inside so they wouldn't have to listen to his constant wailing about the raccoons that were secretly manipulating them all into believing that the train was actually moving.  
  
She bent down to pick up the bag when she noticed something wedged between a few boxes. Reaching forward, she pulled at it until she got it free. Looking in her hands, she found herself holding a leather bound book.  
  
Slowly, she opened it, sneezing from more dust. Looking down, she saw the familiar penmanship on the page. It was her father's! She glanced at the front of the book but she couldn't see any signs that this was his journal. However reading the pages, she realized that's exactly what it was.  
  
Sitting down amid the boxes, she flipped through the pages, looking for a clue at what Abe had been speaking of. If her father had been involved in an investigation in the past, then he might have recorded his notes here. And sure enough, towards the end, she found what she was looking for.  
  
It has become clear that the revolts are not the work of foreigners solely. The rebels are too well informed of the movements of the Japanese army. There must be a traitor among the officers.  
  
I worry most for the Imperial Family, as all the attacks have been geared towards them. If they are the targets, then the plot against the Meiji government is far greater than we believed. We have traced several arms shipments back to Mainland China but the trail runs cold there.  
  
I fear that time is running short. All ready, the government has begun to deport foreigners. But I believe this only increases the threat against them.  
  
"Kaoru-chan?" Kaoru blinked and looked at, seeing Misao at the door. "Are you okay?"  
  
Kaoru nodded and closed the book. She stood up and took the large sack in her hand. "Here you go, you can use this to pack."  
  
"Thanks," Misao said with a smile. "Kaoru. do you think we could go see the girls before we go? I want to say good-bye to them."  
  
"Of course," Kaoru smiled. "There's nothing to worry about anymore, ne? Red is probably half way back to Europe by now."  
  
* * *  
  
The sun was just setting as Misao and Kaoru wove their way through the back streets of Tokyo. The area seemed peaceful enough but as soon as the two girls came into view of the call girls' home, the air was filled with celebratory cries as they were engulfed in excited embraces.  
  
Yohachi walked out of the door to see what was going on but as soon as he took in the scene, he threw his arms into the air and walked away. There was very little chance her could get any of them to listen to him now.  
  
"So is it true about Nanao?"  
  
"Can you bring her something from me?"  
  
"Is he cute?"  
  
"Does he have a brother?"  
  
Kaoru fielded as many questions as she could but the constant chatter eventually overwhelmed her. Even Misao was having problems keeping up with the combined energy of the twenty assorted girls.  
  
"So are you going to keep them stand all night," Yohachi called from inside, "or are you going to invite them for tea, at least?"  
  
"HAI, YOHACHI-CHAN!" the girls all called. The Yakuza boss blistered and cursed before disappearing into the depth of the house.  
  
The girls had a table laden with food ready in less than ten minutes. However, despite attempts to enjoy the desserts, Misao and Kaoru barely had time to breathe between the barrages of questions. It was only when Misao told them she was return to Kyoto that Kaoru finally got the chance to relax. Looking over at Misao, she suddenly realized that she was almost as upset as everyone else was that Misao was going home.  
  
The past couple of months, Kaoru had finally gotten a nice female friend and now she was going to lose her. But.  
  
Kaoru looked out of the window, seeing the sky darkening and the fireflies coming out. But maybe someone else would help her get over losing Misao.  
  
* * *  
  
Kenshin carefully laid out dinner as Sano stood near him almost drooling at the smell. Yahiko was almost as bad but managed to stay on the other side of the table. Aoshi walked by the open door and came to a stop.  
  
"Are we eating dinner already?" he asked.  
  
"No," Kenshin replied. "At least not until Kaoru-dono and Misao-dono come back."  
  
"Demo, Kenshin," Yahiko whined. "Those two are going to take forever to come home."  
  
"Yeah," Sano said reaching forward for a rice ball. "Besides, they won't miss on tiny."  
  
"KAMIYA KAORU!!"  
  
The four men stopped and turned towards the open door. Quickly they filed out into the courtyard where much to their surprise, they found a man mounted on a horse. The horse appeared exhausted, sweating so that the coat shined with perspiration.  
  
"What do you want with Kaoru?" Yahiko said, first.  
  
The man looked around. "Do you know her?" The group nodded. "I have a letter of extreme importance for her."  
  
"We'll take it," Kenshin said walking up and taking the letter from him. "You should rest. Yahiko, take him to the food."  
  
"Hai," Yahiko said mutely, watching with a look of concern as Kenshin tore open the letter.  
  
~~~  
  
Kamiya-san  
  
The damn in Takayama broke and the causalities are very bad. I demanded to speak to the German engineer in charge of building it. After several hours of discussion, I came to learn several very important things.  
  
He is working for the same German company that had Waldschmidt in their employ. In addition to taking orders from him, the engineer also admitted to using second rate supplies to build the dam and filtering the money to that bastard.  
  
I can only hypothesize that he has been using the funds to arm himself. But that is not of the greatest concern. Despite what the Japanese officials said, he never left Japan. In fact he never left Tokyo after your battle with him. You must get out of Tokyo before.  
  
~~~  
  
Kenshin stopped reading the letter right then. Neither Sano or Aoshi asked him to continue. The message was pretty clear and before Yahiko could protest anything, they left him behind to go after the girls.  
  
* * *  
  
"But Misao-chan!!" one of the girls whined.  
  
"Maa maa," Kaoru said, patting the other girl on the arm, "Misao will come back to visit. But we really have to be going."  
  
"But Mi."  
  
"I'll be back!! I promise," Misao said with a smile. The girls looked at her unhappily but finally started to let go. She was almost in the clear when she smelt it. Misao's nose wrinkled and her heightened senses kicked.  
  
"Kaoru." she started.  
  
Kaoru nodded. "I smell it too. Okay, everyone out of the house."  
  
"What's wrong?" one of the girls cried.  
  
"There's a fire," Kaoru said as she followed Misao towards the source.  
  
It didn't take long to find it. A large pile of hay was burning in the middle of the back room. Misao and Kaoru fell back instantly but not before each of them saw it. Lying in a pool of blood, Yohachi's body was stiff and his eyes looked out at nothing. Despite their intense dislike of him, neither girl wanted to leave him behind in the flames, just in case he was alive.  
  
But what they saw next to the body made them realize that they had no choice. Kaoru didn't need Misao to translate the three letters. The two girls were already out the door and into the courtyard where the girls and most of the neighborhood were assembling.  
  
"Everyone move back!" Kaoru cried, pushing them slowly towards the river.  
  
"Wait!" one of the girls cried, trying to fight back. "Jiru went back inside for diary!"  
  
Kaoru and Misao both paled and turned back towards the house. Kaoru barely made it a step forward before she felt someone grabbing her and pulling her back.  
  
"No!" she cried watching Misao bound ahead into the flames. "Let me go!"  
  
"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said firmly, holding her back. "You can't go back inside."  
  
"There are explosives in."  
  
But she never finished her sentence. The wooden building suddenly exploded as the barrels of TNT caught fire. The entire crowd fell back from the blast as debris began to rain down from the sky.  
  
As soon as the initial shock passed, Kaoru pushed herself into a seated position and looked at the damage. "Misao." she said softly, looking at the inferno that was slowly engulfing the neighbor houses.  
  
"Shit," Sano said, getting up and quickly following after Aoshi to start sifting through the debris. The fire department arrived and a long line was set up from the river to the fire, buckets passed hand over hand as they attempted to put out the flames.  
  
"What was she thinking?" Sano said. But Aoshi didn't reply. He kept digging through the pile of wood. Looking over Sano's brow furrowed. "Oi. Aoshi." But the other man wasn't listening. His single mindedness at his task overpowered any of his other senses as he dug through smoking debris. He didn't hear Sano speak, he didn't feel the pain as the smoldering wood began to cut into his hands. Sano reached out to grab his arm but Aoshi shook it off.  
  
Kaoru watched the scene play out from her kneeling position on the floor. Her hands wrapped her side and she leaned forward, her forehead almost touching the ground. No it wasn't possible. she had planned to lose Misao soon but not like this. Not like this.  
  
Someone gently touched her back. "Kaoru-dono." But Kaoru shook her head. No words were going to help. "Kaoru," Kenshin said firmly. "Look up."  
  
Kaoru looked over at the red headed rurouni that was leaning down next to her. He suddenly moved his head and she got a clear look down the street where she could barely make out two forms limping from the smoke.  
  
"Misao!" Kaoru called out as she stood up and started running towards her. Aoshi's head whipped up as he watched where Kaoru was running from.  
  
Covered in soot, skin cut in several places and bleeding, Misao was still standing and dragging the unconscious Juri next to her. Kaoru got there first, taking Juri from Misao. "How." Kaoru started.  
  
Misao smiled lopsidedly. "I'm Oniwabanshu. You think they don't train us for this? Grab the loot and run as fast as you can. I had tons of time to spare. Demo." she started. But her strength ran out and she pitched forward. If she had been awake, she might have been completely overwhelmed by who caught her.  
  
Aoshi shifted his arms slightly so he could get a better grip on her. Standing up, he brought her closer to his chest. Her long braid tumbled down and suddenly, they all saw exactly how much time she had to spare. Half of the braid was gone, burned off from the fire.  
  
* * *  
  
Misao woke up slowly at first, feeling the cool pre-morning breeze blowing from the open door. She turned to one side and looked around, trying to get her bearings. The room looked familiar and it was obvious that she had made it back to the Kamiya dojo. It was still a bit fuzzy but Misao remembered most of the events that had occurred several hours before.  
  
Slowly she stood up and checked to see if she was hurt. She suddenly realized something was off. It took her a minute to realize what it was but her back felt different. Reaching down, her fingers grazed the spot and ran across something she hadn't expected.  
  
Pulling the braid forward, she realized it must have been several inches shorter than it was before. Her fingers ran across the ends but it looked pretty evenly cut. Her mind kicked in and she had a faint memory of running out of the burning building, realizing that part of her hair was burning.  
  
She smiled slightly. She had been growing her braid for as long as she could remember, always refusing to cut it. But now half of it was gone, burned and then trimmed by someone at the dojo. She let it slip from her fingers and across the middle of her back.  
  
Looking over, she suddenly realized she wasn't alone in the room. Her room skipped a beat before she realized that it was only the diminutive form of Kaoru curled up in the corner, asleep.  
  
She walked silently over and looked down at her sleeping friend's face. Misao smiled slightly, realizing how worried Kaoru must have been. She almost didn't want to leave Kaoru behind when she went home to Kyoto. Sure they had shared moments together in the past but nothing as intense as these past few months. And now, after the wedding, they would drift apart again.  
  
Misao walked back to the futon she had been sleeping and pulled the blanket from there, draping it over Kaoru. The other girl shifted slightly but remained asleep. So Misao slowly tiptoed out the open door and made for the kitchen to get some water.  
  
And almost tripped over the mass in front of her door. She blinked in surprise to find another sleeping form keeping watch so near her. But no matter how much Kaoru's concern had touched her, this one made her smile even more. It took a lot of strength but she decided not to glomp the sleeping Aoshi. Instead she leaned down in front of his face and smiled.  
  
That's when she noticed his bandaged hands. Her brow furrowed slightly as tried to remember if she had seen him get hurt. But it was a blank.  
  
She looked up and suddenly realized he was no longer asleep. She slowly pulled back as he stood up, looking down at her as he came to full height. There was a moment of silence as Misao caught his eye, trying to innocently rock back and forth on her hells.  
  
"I'm sorry?" she ventured, wondering if that was even the right thing to say. But rather than replying, he just reached forward and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her tightly into his chest. Misao blink in surprise and then just relaxed with a small sigh.  
  
* * *  
  
"Sano! You can stop now." Sano's hands let go of his head and he looked up at Megumi. "The train has stopped. We're in Kyoto."  
  
Sano looked out the window. Kyoto unrolled around him, Megumi had been telling him the truth. He stood up and tried to compose himself but Megumi smirked and walked away.  
  
Kaoru pulled the heavy sack down the stairs and let it drop on the platform. Leave it to Misao to claim she was still too hurt to take care of the luggage. The girl had been bouncing around for the past day like nothing had happened. Or more like something HAD happened but she wasn't talking.  
  
"Let me get that, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said walking over and picking up the bag.  
  
Kaoru nodded and sighed. Well, it wasn't like Kaoru had been that honest with Misao about the missed moment she had had. Looking around at Kyoto, she found herself no longer filled with dread at the thought of the city. They're reason for coming here were joyous this time around.  
  
"KAORU-CHAN!"  
  
Looking up, Kaoru barely had time to react as Nanao hit her at full speed. The only thing she could do was let the girl squeeze her half to death before finally let go. "I'm so happy you're here!" Nanao said.  
  
"And I'm so happy for you," Kaoru said with a smile.  
  
Nanao smiled broadly. "Thank you, Kaoru-chan. Now come on, the wedding is tomorrow and I need all the help I can get."  
  
Ten minutes later, Kaoru found herself in front of the newly rebuilt Aoiya. It looked almost as good as before the fight with the Juppongatana. Inside, they were greeted with a maelstrom of activity. Misao barely had time to greet everyone before she was put to work in the kitchen. Kaoru was regulated to help Nanao with her kimono, far far away from the kitchen.  
  
In all the rush, it took Kaoru almost an hour before she realized that Kenshin was gone.  
  
* * *  
  
Kenshin looked up at the smoking hut of his once teacher and master, Hiko Seijuurou. He carefully walked up to the door and knocked softly. There was a shuffling inside before the door flew open and Hiko looked down at him.  
  
"Baka deshi," he said, looking down at the smaller man. "What is now?"  
  
"Shishou," Kenshin said, bowing low. "I have come to ask for you help."  
  
"Does it concern another threat to Japan?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you trying to learn another move, because you know them all."  
  
"No, not that."  
  
"Does it involve sake?"  
  
Kenshin sighed and produced the bottle from behind his back. He should have just started with it. Especially since this next part was going to be very hard to ask. Hiko motioned inside and closed the door after him.  
  
There were five minutes of silence before the door burst open again and Kenshin began to slide backwards into the open area.  
  
"Shishou, just let me."  
  
"Baka DESHI! I should have left you for dead in the road rather than have to face this day."  
  
"But shishou."  
  
"It should have been clearer to me. Looking back, it almost makes sense. What with that rooster head you always have following you around"  
  
"Shi. wait, what are you.ORO??"  
  
"To think that the heir to the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu would."  
  
"Iie! You are not thinking."  
  
"To have you as Hitokiri is better than this!"  
  
Kenshin sighed. Yes, he definitely should have just given him the sake first.  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru watched the wedding service proceed, trying not to cry too much. It had been an honor when Nanao ask her to serve as representative of her family. But then, as the girl had said, she had no blood relations to ask. Looking across at the assembled Oniwabanshu, Kaoru realized that it was not always blood that made a family though.  
  
She thought of the rest of the Kenshin-gumi, waiting at the Aoiya for the reception that would follow. It probably wasn't a good idea to think about them because the thought of her red headed rurouni in conjunction with the emotions of this wedding were making her eyes tear.  
  
Misao winked at her from the other side of the room as if she could read the other girl's mind. Kaoru forced a small smile and quickly whipped away at her eyes with the sleeve of her purple kimono.  
  
Misao knew exactly how Kaoru was feeling. Aoshi wasn't there but he was in Misao's mind. Every since that night. it was hug, just a hug. But it had given her so much hope that maybe, just maybe.  
  
There was movement in the front as the couple gave their symbolic offerings to the kami and suddenly the ceremony was over. Both Kaoru and Misao couldn't help but notice that even though nothing had changed physically, Nanao still seemed to glow.  
  
The Aoiya had been decorated and the place was already alive with commotion before the wedding party arrived. Apparently, most of the Oniwabanshu of Kyoto had shown up to celebrate. Sake was pouring like water, pastries lined the table, and the air was filled with laughter.  
  
"Tell the story again!" one of the young girls said, clinging to the arm of the well muscled man.  
  
Hiko smiled. "First, another glass."  
  
From next to her, Kaoru felt a blast of wind as Omasu took off to fend the girls away from her guest. Poor thing, Kaoru thought. I think I'll get more out Kenshin before she can get Hiko to do anything. Speaking of him. where was he anyway?  
  
"Megumi-san?" Kaoru asked walking up to the other girl. From the flush on her face, it was obvious the good doctor was slightly intoxicated. "Eh. have you seen Kenshin?"  
  
"Ken-san?" Megumi said with a smile. "I think I saw him go outside." She glowered a bit. "Some of the girls seemed to get a bit drunk and thought he was up for grabs." Kaoru raised an eyebrow. She was pretty sure Megumi had been part of the group.  
  
"Why do you ask Kaoru?" Megumi said, getting angrier. Kaoru held her arms up and started to back away. One too many experiences with Megumi and sake taught her that it was best to get away.  
  
Kaoru stumbled outside with a laugh. Like she was one to talk! Just the sheer smell of sake and. her thought trailed off when she got a good look around. The inner courtyard of the Aoiya was empty. empty except for.  
  
Kenshin sat on a bench in the middle, holding a small cloth pouch by its strings, swinging it back and forth slowly. He was trying to think of exactly how to go about giving this to.  
  
"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked walking over towards him. The rurouni looked up and blinked a bit in surprise. He stood up as she reached him. "What's that?" she asked, looking down at the bag in his hand.  
  
He held it up and brought his arm forward. "I know it's a bit late but. at least it's not a fish."  
  
Kaoru paused and made the connection. Her birthday present. She tried to force back a bit of the huge smile that was already forming on her face. She took the bag and carefully opened it, letting the contents fall into her hand.  
  
It took a moment, but she turned it around and brought it to the right position, letting out a happy little gasp. The clay figure stood on one foot, the other foot rest on her knee as she stretched her arms upward and spun.  
  
"It's a ballerina!!" Kaoru cried. "You remember from that long ago."  
  
"Hai," Kenshin smiled. "Demo. the one in Tokyo was very expensive. So."  
  
Kaoru turned the figure outside down and looked at the signature on the bottom. "Hiko? Hiko made this??"  
  
Kenshin nodded. "He decided to challenge himself with something more than pots." That is after he threatened to chop me into little piece for asking him to make something as girly as this and I ran around half the forest of Kyoto until I could explain it to him.  
  
"Thank you," Kaoru said with a smile.  
  
"Kaoru-dono, I wanted to."  
  
"Ah!" Kaoru said suddenly. "Wait, I have a present for you too!! Let me go get it."  
  
"You can get it later," Kenshin said.  
  
"Iie!" Kaoru said, moving away quickly. "It's right in my room."  
  
Kenshin watched her go with a smile. So that hadn't gone exactly as planned but she'd be back in a minute and then he could tell her.  
  
* * *  
  
Kaoru walked into the room and couldn't help it. She giggled and spun around like the ballerina she was clutching to her chest. Okay, get a grip. Get the present and go back out there. This is not going to be a lost moment again.  
  
She opened her bag and pulled out the folded cloth. Misao had hit the nail on the head in Tokyo. Kaoru had been shopping for Kenshin too. He had lent her his coat a couple of times and she realized how old and ratty it was. So she saved enough money until she could get him a new one.  
  
She stood up with a smile, wondering what he would say and suddenly stopped short. Someone was standing at the door. The happiness suddenly started to drain from her face.  
  
"Oh no," she said to the person there. "It can't be."  
  
"I am so sorry Kaoru-chan," Michi said looking at the younger girl. "I would not have come if it were not an emergency."  
  
Kaoru shook her head slowly. "I thought you and the rest of his entourage were safe in the mountains."  
  
Michi shook her head. "Things have changed. All the work you've done has helped but now. we need you there while we try to pull things together. Time is short. Come with me."  
  
The back door opened and Kaoru found herself in the back of the Aoiya, a carriage waiting at the back gate. She shook her head. "I can't just leave without."  
  
"You," Michi said, pointing to a soldier. "You deliver a message."  
  
Kaoru looked at the soldier in front of her and down at the coat she still clung. Then looking up at him again, she handed him the coat.  
  
* * *  
  
The horses stomped their feet, the imperial flag fluttering in the wind against the backdrop of a burning Tokyo. Kamiya-san knelt down, taking his young daughter in his embrace.  
  
"I know it is difficult to understand, Kaoru-chan, but I have to go help them fight these fires."  
  
"But. but isn't it dangerous?" Kaoru asked softly, burying her face in her father coat.  
  
"Hai, it is. But I was a soldier first, before anything. That is why I must go."  
  
"But you'll come home, won't you?" she asked. "You will come home right?"  
  
Her father pulled back and looked at his daughter, wiping her tears away. "Kaoru, I will tell you what my father told me before he went off to war. No truer words have been spoken.  
  
* * *  
  
Kenshin sat on the bench, watching the building Kaoru had gone in. It was taking her quite a bit of time to get whatever she had gone for.  
  
"Ken-san!"  
  
Kenshin looked up and watched as Misao and Megumi stumbled into the courtyard. "Where did you two go??" Misao demanded. "There's a big party in there and you're missing it!"  
  
"Ah, Misao-dono, Meg."  
  
"Oi, Kenshin!" Sano called from the door. "Are you trying to steal all the girls for yourself?"  
  
"Iie, Sano. I was just." Kenshin sighed as Sano walked outside followed by Aoshi. "I was just waiting for Kaoru-dono to get something from her room."  
  
"Demo, Kenshin," Misao complained. "What could she want from her room?" But Kenshin just smiled.  
  
"We'll be waiting for ever for her to come out," Sano said. "Oi, megitsune, go get her."  
  
"What am I?" Megumi yelled. "Your own personal slave?"  
  
"If you want to be," Sano said with a half drunk grin.  
  
"Maa maa," Kenshin said, realizing the situation was about to get much worse. "I'll go get her."  
  
With a sigh, he walked to the living quarters and knocked softly on the door of the room Kaoru had taken while in Kyoto. But there was no reply. He tried again, even threw in a Kaoru-dono for safety before he threw the door open.  
  
There was no one in the room. And yet. there was no sign of struggle. Kenshin turned as he heard movement behind him but it was only Aoshi. The other man frowned and walked across the room, throwing open the door on the opposite side.  
  
From his spot in the room, Kenshin realized that the back door led to the back of the Aoiya and to the back exit. And standing at the gate was a uniformed officer. The rest of the group was suddenly there as the soldier walked towards them.  
  
"Himura Kenshin?" he said.  
  
"Hai," Kenshin said, watching as the soldier brought a large item forward. Kenshin took if from him, feeling the cloth press softly against his hand as he took it. It must have been Kaoru's gift but.  
  
"There is a message too," the soldier said softly. "She said her father had once told her that if a soldier could choose when he would have to leave his friends and family to fight for his lord, he would choose the happiest day in his life. That way, even under the worse odds, he would fight his hardest to return to that life, to that paradise he called home.  
  
"And then she said," the soldier continued, "that since she met all of you, each day has been happier than the last. That she would keep that in mind while she." He trailed off.  
  
"While she what?" Kenshin demanded.  
  
The soldier turned to Misao. "You are Misao then," the soldier asked. Misao nodded. "She said to tell you that she is sorry she couldn't ask you to come along. But she had already broken your promise to her once, and she couldn't do it again."  
  
"What promise?" Aoshi asked, looking at Misao as the girl clutched at her kimono.  
  
"The one I made to her when I first got to Tokyo," Misao said softly. "That I would help her make sure none of you would fight again." 


	10. Chapter 9 : The Shinai

Author's note:

Phew, still trying to catch up from FF.net down time. But I'm finally getting there. Thanks for all the reviews…love reading them ^_^

Anywho, I promise there is one chapter after this one so don't kill me right away, kay?

***

"She's not at the docks," Sano said walking back into the Aoiya. The small group assembled there looked up with disappointment as he sat down and took a cup of water. "No one saw a ship leaving with anyone like her on it at any rate."

"She had only ten minutes!" Misao said, frustration evident in her voice. "How could she have just disappeared!"

"Misao," Okina said entering the room followed by Aoshi, "it is not your fault Kaoru left." He paused and looked around, seeing Sano still trying to catch his breath in the corner. Megumi was sitting impassively, watching the scene play out with an unreadable face. 

The only other member in the room almost melded into the shadows. But Okina could not help but look over at the red head sitting against the wall, resting his sword against his shoulder. So many times, the role of hero had fallen to him but now, Kenshin found himself completely removed from the game.

"I should have seen it coming," Misao frowned. "But I just don't understand why now. And more importantly, why Kaoru seemed to think that it was going to lead to a fight."

"All right," Okina said, "let's start from the beginning."

Misao looked up at him and thought about it for a minute. Kaoru had asked her not to tell them what was going on but... Misao had a bad feeling about this. To have Kaoru leave her behind, could only mean that things had gone downhill.

So she started from the beginning, filling them in on the meeting with the Emperor those many months ago, the investigation of the dead call girls, Red's involvement, the German-France connection and Indochine, the politics that had woven themselves into the two girls' lives, and finally the last bits of information Kaoru had told her.

"Kaoru thought that maybe this had something to do with what her father was involved in," Misao said. "But she didn't give me that many details, only that she was looking into it."

Misao stopped and the group looked at her in stunned silence. Finally Okina's face broke and he started to sob as he clutched the little girl. "You've gone and grown up," he said, "and lead an investigation worthy of any Oniwabanshu commander!"

"I can't believe weasel-girl and jou-chan figured this all out themselves," Sano said.

"HEY!" Misao cried, slowly pulling herself out Okina's death grip. "Don't be so surprised!" But she let it go with a sigh. "The only problem is that either Kaoru or the Emperor's investigator made the final connections. But I just don't know what it is."

***

Kaoru sat in the chair of the train, watching the Japanese landscape roll past her. The car they were in was occupied by several armed soldiers, at least one general and Michi, who sat curled up asleep in the back. Kaoru looked at the concubine and sighed. She had wanted to see Michi and the rest of the girls again but... not like this. 

The air was one of urgency and Kaoru couldn't help but feel the anxiety creep into her as well. For some reason, it appeared that everything was preparing to come to head and she had no idea why now, or how.

There was movement near her and Kaoru's eyes shot open as she watched the man move to take a seat across from her. He lit up a cigarette and took in a long drag before finally turning his attention to her.

"Saitou!" she said with surprise, recognizing the figure there.

"Kamiya Kaoru," he said, tipping the cigarette. "I was surprised when they told me you were the source of all the information we've been receiving. " He took in a deep drag.

"Well, thank you," Kaoru said sarcastically.

Saitou raised an eyebrow. "You should take that as a compliment. I have had half my police force on this case since March and none of them got as close as you have to the solution."

Kaoru backed down and looked out the window. The cigarette smoke obscured her vision every so often but she let it go. She was in no mood for a fight, even with Saitou.

"You've lost your bite," Saitou said, putting the cigarette out. "You need to get it back before we reach Tokyo." Kaoru looked up at him with surprise. 

"Then this isn't just about putting the case together," she said softly.

"Would you have left your friends behind if you didn't already know that?"

Kaoru nodded silently and returned to looking out the window. She thought of all her friends and the past few months and then it suddenly hit her. She knew what they were going back. She looked up at Saitou and he just pulled out another cigarette, sitting back in the chair.

***

"I know I'm just missing something simple," Misao said, leaning against the wall. "I keep seeing all our conversations but there's nothing there."

"I don't understand," Megumi said finally. "I mean, when I spoke to her, she said it was all over. That man, Abe or whatever, said he was going to take care of it. He said he was meeting with some high level..." Megumi trailed off as Misao's head snapped up. "Nani?" she asked but the little girl was already gone.

Several seconds later, Misao returned with a newspaper in her hand. "I just remembered! Look at this article." She lay the paper on the desk and pointed to the main article. "Here, this is what Abe must have been talking about." The headline summarized the entire story. Foreign dignitaries to meet with Emperor to discuss future engineering projects tomorrow night. 

Misao frowned. "They never figured out who was behind it," she said, "but the Emperor had to come back. Which means..."

"It means," Aoshi filled in, "that they still do not know who is responsible but that they are expecting an attack." 

"Well, that's great," Sano said. "I think not knowing where she was was better. If she's in the Imperial Palace, we don't stand a chance in hell of getting inside."

The group fell into silence. It was true, Misao realized. Kaoru would have no problem getting in. She had the seal of the Emperor after all. But the rest of them...

"Gomen," Omasu said walking in, "but someone just delivered another letter." Kenshin head snapped up. "It was a police officer but..." 

Kenshin took the letter, feeling the extra weight in it. He opened it up, catching the contents before they could hit the ground. They all leaned over to read the message that was written there.

~~~

__

Battousai,

Kamiya Kaoru sits across from me and I can not help but wonder why you idiots did not realize what was going on all the time under your noses. However, after Kyoto, I am convinced the only way you are all worth anything is when you are together as a group. The train taking us to Tokyo has left but there should be another one later today. And this should grant you access to the Palace.

Saitou Hajime

~~~

"Oi, did Saitou finally grow a conscience?" Sano asked. Kenshin frowned and looked at the bottom of the note.

__

~~ PS If that idiot Sano thinks I am doing this for any of you, he is wrong. I am doing this for me and for a bet I have ever intention of losing.

Sano's hand clenched. "That... that..."

"That man," Megumi finished for him, "happened to give us exactly what we needed, ne Kenshin?"

Kenshin opened his hand and looked down at the small Kiku seal in there.

***

Kaoru related everything she knew once more and the police officers there nodded. They had already gotten the message from Abe and been watching the company Waldschmidt worked for. But so far, Red had not been seen. 

"Kaoru-chan," Michi said, waving off the officers that bowed as she entered. "I need you to come with me. There's someone who wants to speak with you."

Kaoru nodded, having a pretty good idea of who it was. But somehow the butterflies in her stomach never made an appearance. She was too tired from the trip to actually care that she was about to meet the Emperor again. 

Bowed on the ground, forehead touching the forehead, Kaoru waited as Michi left the room.

"Kamiya Kaoru."

The voice managed to knock some fear into Kaoru. This was after all the most powerful man in Japan and a god in many people eyes.

"These past few months have been very trying," he continued. "But your help has been invaluable. You are your father's daughter."

"Thank you," she said, bowing a bit lower.

"It is good that you have come here now. You were here in the beginning and should thus be present for the end. But your sword... have you forgotten it again?" Kaoru balked, looking down at her side and realizing she had nothing there. "You make a habit of leaving it behind. I suppose we will take care of it again."

"Thank you," she said, trying to hide the blush in her face.

There was a pause before he began speaking again. "I still feel we are so alike. Tell me, have you finally come to master the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu or does it's meaning still elude you? I think you still only see yourself as Assistant Master."

There was a sigh. "I envy you. To live by the sword. I have but one purpose now. To stand as a symbol of Japan until I slowly fade away, just like the Kiku. A flower blooms but must fade. But a sword..."

There was silence. Kaoru didn't dare look up but somehow she sensed he was gone. A moment later, she felt Michi's hand on her back.

***

The train sped by but the sun was already setting. They weren't going to get there until nighttime at this rate. If there were some way to make it go faster, to make Tokyo suddenly appear.

Misao sighed and looked over at Sano who had managed to keep his wailing silent during this trip. She almost wished he was right. Because then, then she could make them arrive in Tokyo.

There was movement next to her and Aoshi took the empty seat there. He sat silently, looking at the seat back in front of him. After a few minutes, Misao turned back to the window.

"You're quiet," he finally said. "I've never known you to be quiet."

"I'm worried," she said simply. 

"I've never known you to be worried either."

Misao frowned. Of course she got worried! Maybe if didn't spend so much time meditating, he'd see that most of the worry was directed right at him.

"The way you and Kaoru did this," he said. "It's still a bit of a shock."

"What?" she asked, finding herself getting a bit angry, "that two girls could do what most of the Tokyo police department couldn't?"

"No," he said. "That you grew up so much while I was gone." 

Misao paused, any anger slowly fading away. She looked up at him with a bit of surprise. But then she smiled slightly and wrapped on arm around his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. A few seconds later, she fell asleep.

***

"We'll have the Emperor guarded at all time," Saitou said to the assembled group. "Twenty guards in the open, ten more hidden and the Emperor's personal guard in the room with him."

"The palace itself will have guards surrounding it," Tsugio continued. The captain of the palace guard seemed to have gotten older in the weeks he was away. But his voice still held strength in it. "Nothing will get through."

"We'll have a couple of guards posted around the women," Tsugio continued, "but I think it would be a good idea for Kamiya-san to be in the room with them."

Kaoru nodded, still feeling out of place at such a high level meeting. "If there is any danger," she said, "I will alert the rest of the guards immediately."

Tsugio nodded. "All right, let's take our positions. The sun has set and the palace will sleep soon."

The group got up and began to walk out to their respective position. But Kaoru had barely made it three steps when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Tsugio looking at her.

"I knew your father," he said. "He was a good man who obviously raised his daughter well." 

"Thank you, sir," she said with some confusion. 

"Take care tonight, there is a lot of danger around you," he finished, his voice a bit soft, before walking away.

She watched him go with a bit of confusion on her face. Well, yes there was obviously danger all around them. And he had never said two words to her before tonight but to find out he knew her father... 

"They fought together." Kaoru turned around to see Saitou there. "Some time back, your father and he were on the same side. But something happened and there was a falling out between them."

"Really?" Kaoru said. "My father never mentioned..."

"No, I don't think he would have," Saitou said before disappearing.

Kaoru felt herself getting flustered. Why did she feel like half the time, people knew more than they were letting on?? She sighed. There was no point in thinking about it now. All she had to concern herself with was making it through the night. Tomorrow, she'd be able to figure things out better.

***

The train whistle blew one more time before it came to a halt in front of Tokyo station. As soon as the door opened the Kenshin-gumi was out and running, trying to make it to the Imperial Palace in time.

As they passed by a night watch man, he called out the time. 3 in the morning. Misao frowned, they might already be too late. But... but that didn't mean they could stop. Looking ahead, she watched Kenshin's red ponytail bounce as he moved quickly down the road. She could only wonder what he was thinking.

Kenshin's mind was a jumble, still trying to sort things out. He knew that Kaoru was involved in something big. But to have it suddenly laid out in front of him... why hadn't she said anything to him? He threw a glance over at Megumi and realized that the female doctor was trying her hardest to keep up with them.

It was her, Kenshin realized, Megumi who had played a part in this. It was out of concern, he knew that, but somehow whatever Megumi had told Kaoru had made her believe that keeping everyone out of the way was the only way to do things.

Why should it matter that Kenshin might get really hurt in the next fight? It's what he did. He fought, he got hurt and if he was lucky, he didn't die. At least that was how it had been. But lately, he had people fighting with him, making sure that he didn't die. And now, he had someone willing to fight by herself to keep him safe.

Three more minutes, he thought, three more minutes were all I would have needed to tell her. Tell her that I wasn't go to get hurt again, that I would try not to fight anymore if she just promised to stop whatever it was she was involved in. That I didn't know what would happen if she ever really got hurt. But it was too late to promise her things like that. All he could do was hope he was not too late.

The Imperial Palace loomed before them and Kenshin pressed forward. Several guards raised their pikes in alarm and Kenshin slid to stop pulling out the Imperial seal. It took them a moment but they opened the door and let them through. They barely made past the main hallway when Saitou found them.

"Where is she?" Kenshin demanded putting a hand on his sword.

Saitou looked at them with interest, puffing in his cigarette. "I see that you got my letter and made it here."

"Stop the games!" Sano called. "Just tell us where jou-chan is."

Saitou smiled. "She is in the one place that not even that seal will get you to."

"Can't you ever..." Sano started.

"Wait," Misao said. "Wait, I get it. It makes sense to. She's with the concubines, right?" Saitou took in a deep drag. "She's just guarding them. No men are allowed there."

"The concubines?" Megumi said catching her breath. "But why would they need protecting? I thought that this was about the Emperor!"

"It was precautionary," Saitou replied, but then paused. Something suddenly felt off. Tsugio had insisted that Kamiya be with the women because it would bring them comfort. But then, there had been what he said to her.

Take care tonight, there is a lot of danger around you.

It wasn't just the word but the way he had said it. Just after mentioning her father. As if he was trying to somehow...

Saitou swore. The concubines, he should have seen it. There were only a couple of guards there. If there was going to be an attack... He was about to call out orders but suddenly, it was too late...

***

Kaoru sat on the floor, her legs folded beneath her as her hand rested on the hilt of the shinai. It was probably the middle of the night and Kaoru was forcing herself to keep awake. All around her, the many women of the Emperor slept soundly, their quiet breathing almost hypnotic.

But Kaoru was not going to fall asleep. It maybe have just been a courtesy to have her guard them but she was going to do her best to make sure that they woke up tomorrow and found her still on guard.

There was a soft click in the back of the room and Kaoru blinked. Turning around, she looked across the room but found nothing there but sleeping bodies. She frowned, trusting her hearing more than her vision in the dark and slowly made her way towards the source of the sound.

Two steps later, she realized her mistake but it was too late. Her knees were on the floor, the shinai was out of her hands and Kaoru's hair was being pulled back as a knife rest against her throat.

She almost cried out in surprise but there was a voice in her ear. "Try to make one sound, and I'll kill you before the sound even leaves your mouth."

Kaoru nodded slightly, enough to feel the blade graze her neck. Someone moved from behind her and when he came into view, Kaoru felt her blood run cold.

Red smiled at her and put a finger to his lips. She watched in horror as he silently pulled his sword free and walked towards the door. No! Kaoru realized. This was their plan. To sneak in where no man should have been able to come in and start the attack from here. Several dozen more men made their way quietly from behind her, their feet moving silently across the floor so that the women didn't even stir from their sleep.

She thought of the guards waiting behind the main door, unaware that there were intruders in the room. They would be killed before they could raise the alarm. And then this small army would reach the Emperor and kill him before anyone knew what was going on.

She was the only one who knew. She was the only one who could do anything and she had a knife at her throat preventing her from raising the alarm. Not like this, she thought, it couldn't end like this.

She knew what would happen. After the Emperor was killed, the Meiji government would collapse and Red with his Germany army would move in, making this their colony. They would fight the French in Indochine, just like she had suspected and Japan would be lost in war again.

She imagined her little dojo and the people there. Each one of them had fought so hard to get the peace that had eluded them for so many years. Yahiko had his childhood back, Megumi was a doctor, Sano was... well, he was trying to be good. They would all lose that peace if Japan went to war. 

Aoshi, would he ever be able to find redemption if Japan was dragged into battle? Misao... how long would she keep that perkiness in the face of overwhelming destruction? Would she even survive long enough to finally get her dreams with Aoshi fulfilled?

And then there was Kenshin. Kenshin whom she had come to love as the rurouni he had been when they first met. But a fighter by nature, how long would it be before he took up the sword and fought again?

The sword... Kaoru's eyes snapped opened.

She remembered now, the shinai given to her by the Emperor, hanging uselessly in her dojo. He had given her a useless sword to show her. And then...

__

~"A mirror?" she said, looking at it. She smiled. "I guess Himi and Airi snuck something at the last minute." ~

No, it wasn't Himi and Airi that had given her the mirror. It had been him again, further proving the point.

__

~ May you never come to understand the full meaning of the sword that protects. ~

Wakarimasu, she thought to herself, feeling her eyes get moist. I understand.

__

~ "And why do you do this?" her father had demanded and not one of his students had answered except... ~

~ "There is no one answer," Kaoru had said all those years ago. "Each person must find their own reason to do it. And when they have found the reason, they're training is complete." ~

She finally understood what her father had been teaching her, what he had been trying to make his students see. There was no physical sword. Just as the Emperor had described himself as the embodiment of the Kiku, Kaoru was the embodiment of the Sword. The sword that protects. 

He was right, she thought sadly. I wish I didn't know the full meaning. Demo...

Her breath slowed and she closed her eyes. I am the sword that protects. The Kiku wilts and fades from memory, but the Sword... the sword goes out in a blaze of glory, a final battle...

"WAKARIMAAAAAAA..."

The scream filled the room and the small army turned in surprise. The man holding her failed to react quickly enough and her scream was already echoing through the palace. With a curse, he brought the knife across her neck quickly, gaining little satisfaction as the yell died.

"Everyone," Red called, "back..."

But the door flew open. Any rules concerning the concubines' quarters were quickly forgotten as the imperial guards filled in. The women were screaming as swords clashed and the fighting began. Bodies fell to the ground as Imperial soldiers pushed the rebels back towards the wall

Red fell back, trying to find a way out and almost tripping on the fallen body of Kaoru. He held his sword, preparing to defend himself, just as the Kenshin-gumi entered the room.

They all saw it, Red's hair acting like a beacon to show them what had happened. The motionless body of Kaoru lying there with a small pool of blood slowly forming around her and catching in her long black hair.

If he had any idea of who it was that was looking at him, Red may have had a bit of fear for what he was about to face. Instead, he was completely unprepared for what happened. Before Misao could react, or Megumi could cry out in surprise, before Sano could curse or Aoshi blink in surprise, Kenshin locked eyes with Red. And the German saw something that simply should not have been possible.

Gold leaked into the purple, no blinking, no looking downward, just pure rage created in an instant. Red barely had time to shield himself from the power strike that came at him. But even putting his sword up barely gave him protection as the Ryu Tsui Sen came from above.

The floor beneath him shattered with the impact and it took all Red's strength to stand up once again. The moment he did, he almost wished he had stayed down rather than face another attack by the enraged swordsman.

He turned just in time to see the red-haired rurouni moving at him with an unbelievable speed and barely had time to register the nine blows on his body before he collapsed to the ground unconscious. 

Kenshin stopped and took a breath, ever ounce of his strength slowly pushing away the screaming vengeance that was threatening to over take him. No he couldn't kill again. But... he had seen it, right? It had to be her.

He felt his head go light but used the sword to keep himself steady. Looking over, he saw them gathered around the fallen body. Megumi was desperately pushing a cloth against the wound to stop the bleeding. One of the concubines was calling out for physicians. 

Sano looked up first and moved quickly, catching Kenshin and holding him back. "Just stay back, Megumi'll..."

But Kenshin pushed him away. His mind still trying to register what was happening. Sano shot a look over at Aoshi and the other man moved to help. Their agreement was mutual. There was no way that Kenshin should have to see this.

"Stay back Himura," Aoshi said, taking one arm while Sano grabbed the other one. 

But Kenshin was beyond hearing. He just saw her lying in Megumi's lap, a long red line against the fabric pressing against her throat. But it wasn't real. If he could just reach her, he knew the mirage would just fade away.

Sano cursed and yelled at a couple of imperial guards to help. The soldiers advanced quickly and tried to help hold him back. But that's the problem with someone as determined as Kenshin was. The normal rules of strength do not apply when you are desperately trying to reach someone who you should have never let go.

"Gomen, Kenshin," Misao said, suddenly appearing with tear filled eyes. She moved quickly and, pinned down as he was, there was no defense as her hand came crashing into the side of the head, hitting him in the temple and finally crumpling him to the ground.


	11. Chapter 10 : The Firefly

Author's note:

ACK! Remind me never to leave a cliffhanger like that again. I think it was cruel… even by my standards ^_^

Thanks for your patience and most of all, your support of this story. But then… why the hell am I still talking??? Go, read story, enjoy ^_^

****

Chapter 10 : The Firefly

There was a quiet breeze the next morning. It played with the wind chime before entering the room and ruffling the blanket draped against the sleeping form. Suddenly, Kenshin woke with a start, looking around for whatever had caused the disruption in his sleep.

He paused and blinked. Gingerly, he brought a hand to his head and felt a bit of a lump there. It was tender and the moment he felt the pain, everything started to click in his mind. Throwing the blanket off, he ran outside and found himself in the courtyard of the Kamiya compound. 

Looking around, he tried to find someone to tell him what had happened and then suddenly saw it. Sitting by the koi pond, a figure in white. Long black hair was limp against her back, her pale hands folded in her lap. Her eyes were closed and her breathing slow.

He took a step forward and the sound of his shoe on the gravel made her look up. She turned to face him with a sad smile on her face and Kenshin felt his heart nearly break. It was Kaoru… but she was dead. A ghost sitting by the koi pond to haunt him for failing to protect her. He took another step forward and she stood up slowly.

He reached her and stretched out a hand, ready for it to pass through her but it made contact against her cheek and he realized she was solid. Not dead. Not dead at all.

Kaoru was suddenly being crushed but not in a bad way at all, she realized. This was not like the embrace she had gotten before he left for Kyoto. This was something much more and much, much better.

They stayed there for longer than either of them realized but neither was quite willing to let go. When they finally parted, Kaoru's face with filled with an apologetic look.

"Why?" Kenshin finally managed.

Kaoru opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, bringing a hand up to her neck where the bandage was. He looked at her, questioning the gesture but the answer was suddenly called out.

"She can't talk."

Turning around, Kenshin watched as Megumi joined them. "What?" Kenshin asked.

"She can't talk," Megumi said. "At least not for a while." She shot a look over to Kaoru and the younger girl nodded and sat back down. "And stay there," Megumi ordered, "or I will send you back to bed." Kaoru nodded softly, with a guilty look on her face.

"Come with me," Megumi said to Kenshin. He turned to face Kaoru but she was facing the koi pond with her eyes closed. Feeling something was wrong, he fell into step with Megumi to get the whole story.

"What happened?" he asked. "I don't remember anything except… except Misao hitting me on the head."

"Yes, she did that," Megumi said. "It's why you've been sleeping for most of the day." 

He looked up at the sky, seeing that she was right. The sun had almost completed its arc in the sky. "Why did…"

"Do you know how strong that strike you threw against that Red guy was?" Megumi asked. "You managed to send him three feet through the floor. It took them half an hour to get him out."

Kenshin frowned. "But they have him now. So this is over."

Megumi paused. "No… it's not. They don't know how the rebels got in."

"What do you mean?"

"They've searched the entire room and there's no sign of how they got in. The entire city is on high alert. Things are starting to fall apart and the one person who might be able to help…" Megumi paused. "She can't remember how they got in. It's probably the trauma of it all."

Kenshin looked back, studying Kaoru as she sat and tried to think, her brow furrowing in frustration.

"What exactly…" he asked softly.

"Luck," Megumi said. "Luck that the blade was not sharp and just did a lot of superficial damage. Luck that she managed to alert the rest of the castle before they could finish the job. It was all luck." She paused. "It's also why Misao had to do what she did. I know she regrets it but… after what you did to Red, you just stopped listening."

They paused in silence, looking over at Kaoru. But she was lost in thought.

***

"So, you're not mad?" Kenshin shook his head and the little ninja girl leapt forward in a glomp. "Thank you!!" she said. "I didn't want to do it, but Megumi told me too."

"Hey!" Megumi snapped. "Don't blame it on me. I said stop him, no knock him out."

"I'm surprised weasel girl could even do it," Sano retorted.

"HEY!" Misao said, prepping for a flying bird kick.

"Maa maa," Kenshin said holding up his hands to stop the argument. "It's all right."

"Yes," Megumi said. "No more fighting. Come on Misao, you can help me bring out dinner. Yahiko go set up the table." The little girl shot one last nasty look over at Sano before falling into step with the doctor.

"Feh," Sano said watching them go. "The two of them are always ganging up on me." Kenshin looked over questioningly at the other man. And then shrugged, walking out to the balcony that wrapped itself around the main house.

From here, they could see Kaoru, sitting by the koi pond. Night was beginning to fall and the fireflies were out but she seemed oblivious to it all.

"Still kind of surprising," Sano said. "I mean… look at what jou-chan and Misao got involved in right under our noses."

Kenshin nodded slowly, looking out at the gate that was guarded by several Imperial army soldiers. They were there to protect the only possible clue the Meiji government had.

Sano sighed. "You know, maybe it shouldn't be such a surprise. Every since that time at the river, it's like Kaoru is a whole different person."

Kenshin paused, realizing what Sano had just said. No jou-chan… but Kaoru. And what's more… Sano was right. Kaoru had been slowly drifting away from them, carried on a current of a secret life none of them could hope to understand. It was strange to think that they could have gotten so close and yet so far away at the same time.

***

Kaoru sat quietly, still unaware of how much time had passed. Seeing Kenshin had firmed her resolve. She was going to remember what happened and she was going to end this.

But every time she closed her eyes and tried to remember, all she could feel was the knife against her throat. The tearing sound as it cut into flesh. The feeling… the feeling of cutting into…

She shivered and forced her eyes open. It was no use. No matter how she tried, it was always going to that memory. She couldn't remember anything before it. Her hand clenched in her lap. No, she had to do it. She had to face the fear and figure out this last piece of the puzzle.

She closed her eyes and brought her mind back to the quiet concubine quarters. Her memory tried to skip ahead but she held it firm, remember the sleeping noise of the other women. The stillness of the air.

Someone stepped behind her, clicking softly against the ground, and Kaoru's eyes shot open, suddenly catching the fading light of a firefly.

"Kaoru-dono?" 

Kaoru stood up. She stared at the pond, watching the reflections of the fireflies in the pond. There was a firm arm on her shoulder and she turned around, catching sight of worry in the violet eyes.

She nodded firmly and took off quickly, heading towards the gate to get to the guards there. The rest of the dojo was there before she even managed to communicate to them what she needed to say.

"Oi, jou-chan, what's up?" Sano asked, watching the guards scatter.

She turned to the group with a firm nod to communicate everything without words. She remembered what had happened.

***

The streets of Tokyo were empty due to the curfew imposed by the government, so the carriage had no problem getting the palace in record time. The door flew open as soon as the horses stopped, Aoshi jumping out first to help the rest of them down. 

Kaoru came next to last, the new coat she had bought for Kenshin draped around her shoulders. At the sight of the imposing walls of the castle, she felt her resolve break, hearing her own scream shatter the air and falling back into…

But suddenly the last trace of fear faded away and looking down, she smiled slightly at the hand grasping hers. With a thankful look at the rurouni, she walked towards the palace.

They followed the corridors until they reached the concubines quarters. The room was in complete disarray, obviously stripped down to look for the way the intruders had gotten in. Kaoru walked over to the spot she had been sitting, trying to ignore the faint bloodstain on the ground.

"Kaoru-chan." Kaoru looked up, watching as Michi came up to her, Saitou slightly behind her. The concubine wore a flowing kimono but her beauty seemed to have fallen slightly since last night. Kaoru nodded at her with her best smile, though obviously forced. "Thank you," Michi said softly before stepping aside.

Feeling one last squeeze before her hand was let go, Kaoru tried to remain calm as she sank down to the floor. She lay her hand on her lap and closed her eyes, remembering once more and fighting against the raising panic. Her fingers clenching on the kimono fabric until they turned white.

Too close! Her mind screamed. You're too close to where it happened! Run away!

But she sat firmly on the ground and eventually quieted the concerns down. Her fingers released and she felt the current world ebb away and slowly return to last night.

She was sitting here, in this spot. The click… she remembered the click and then.

The light. She had forgotten it but now, she remembered the smallest sliver of light on the ground before she turned to get up.

She opened her eyes and came back to the current day and stood up, slowly walking to the spot on the floor the light had appeared. She put her foot on the spot and lined up her fingers with her toes. The group watched in confusion as she slowly brought her arm upwards and pointed to a spot on the ceiling.

Saitou moved first, pulling out his sword and stabbing at the ceiling. He slashed downward and split the panel in half. A guard came forward with a light and he held it up to the opening.

With a motion of his head, Saitou sent a couple of guards up into the ceiling. The rest of the group watched with a mixture of horror and amazement as the two guards began to walk above them. Saitou followed the noise and no one thought to question him. The sounds of footsteps echoed through the corridors, coming from above and below the ceiling. 

Finally they came to a stop, reaching a closed door. The guard continued and there were sounds of a struggle inside. Sano walked forward and punched the door, sending it to splinters and earning an annoyed look from Saitou.

"No!" Michi cried first seeing what was inside. "It can't be you…"

"I knew it," Saitou said looking at the man holding the bloodied sword. 

Tsugio, general of the personal guard of the Imperial family, looked at the assembled group with hatred in his eyes. The bodies of the two guards lay on the ground and from the looks of the room, it was obvious they had caught him trying to escape.

"It makes sense," Misao said. "The people who fought with Red, they were too well trained. They were Imperial soldiers!"

"That's right," Tsugio replied coldly. "The most honorable of the royal guard."

"Honorable?" Michi cried. "They tried to kill the Emperor!"

"Who said the Emperor was the target?" Tsugio said looking at her. Michi paled and stepped back.

"You… you wouldn't…"

"We tried," Tsugio said, "once before only to be foiled by none other than the father of the woman who stopped us this time," he finished looking over at Kaoru with such hatred that Kenshin's hand was already at his sword before he realized it had moved.

"I hope your family burns," Tsugio said, "just like your father did." 

Kaoru's eyes opened wide and she felt herself wavering between outright anger and immense sorrow. No… her father's death… it had been an accident. He had just been fighting a fire and…

__

"I just wanted you to know that before…before you followed the same path."

Abe had said that. Abe had known and seen what was happening. 

"You will be executed," Michi spat. "I will make sure of that."

Tsugio laughed. "You'll be dead yourself before that happens," he said. "Or did you think I was the only one who sought this noble cause."

"Noble cause?" Misao cried. "You want to bring war to Japan! How is that noble?"

"It would give us the one thing denied for centuries. First the Tokogawa regime, now the Meiji regime… all with the Emperor as the supposed supreme leader but truly on a figure head. We would give him the power he deserves."

"And to do this," Michi asked. "You would kill me?"

"Not you alone," he said. "But the child you carry as well." Michi's hand moved instinctively to her stomach, pressing the fabric flat and suddenly revealing the stomach that had grown in the past few months.

"To sacrifice the future ruler of Japan…" Michi said, her voice starting to break. "How could this…"

"There would have been others," Tsugio replied. "And the death of a concubine with child would have been more than enough to topple the already fragile Meiji government."

"And Germany would have been called in to stop the revolts," Misao said, earning her a glare from Tsugio. "When they re-established order, they'd put the Emperor in charge." She paused. "Only you realize he would have been just another figurehead. And Germany would use Japan as a battleground against the French."

Tsugio looked at her. "Lies," he said simply. "Lies will get you no where."

"But the truth will," Michi said, her resolve returning. "And they will torture it out of you."

Tsugio smiled slightly and suddenly swung the sword around. He was aiming for his stomach, preparing to commit ritual suicide to save himself the disgrace of being tortured and then executed. The option had not been given to him but it appeared that he was about to take it.

His hand shot open in surprise and the sword clattered to the floor. He fell back, clutching the bleeding hand, three sharp knives embedded in them.

"You're not getting away that easily," Misao said, watching as the guards ran forward to finish the job she had started.

***

"He was forewarned," Michi said softly, holding the cup of tea in her hands. "He was trying to escape because he knew we were coming. There are still traitors in the palace that would warn him."

"They'll find them," Abe said firmly. 

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Michi said. "From what he said, they are obviously going to come after me again."

"That's why we're taking you away," Abe said. "Until the clamor has died down and the rest of the group is routed out. And by the time they reach you, it will be too late," he added with a small smile.

"And what about the two girls?" Michi asked.

Abe nodded. "The younger one, Misao," he started, "is a part of the spy network here. They'll be able to send her someplace safe."

Michi paused and looked up at Abe. "And Kaoru?"

Abe sighed. "The same, I suppose. The Oniwabanshu appear to have a connection with her as well."

Michi shook her head. "I want her to come with me."

"But Michi…"

"No… I won't feel safe until I know she is too. And the only way I will is if she is with me."

"You understand what you are going to do?" Abe said. "She's already almost died for you. She won't hesitate to follow you if you ask… no matter what the cost."

***

"Okay, okay," Sano said. "I'll admit it… that was a pretty damn good shot."

Misao beamed and pulled her feet up into the chair, taking a sip of the tea. The rest of the group had assembled in a small Western style room of the palace, taking a moment to reorganize themselves before heading home.

"But Kaoru was the one who really kicked," Misao said happily.

Kaoru looked over, exhaustion written all over her face. She nodded slowly and moved her hand to cover Misao's, giving it a tight squeeze. Misao smiled, understanding the sentiment. They had made a great team.

The doors opened and Michi walked in, followed by Abe. Kaoru eyes locked on his and she stood up, her face saying all the words she couldn't. He nodded slightly, acknowledging the question and asking her to sit down.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Michi said sitting down with a sigh. "I think you all know Abraham Jackson. You just don't know what he does."

"He's an engineer," Misao said, instantly realizing that the words she was speaking were a lie. She sighed and smiled. "You're one of us."

"What?" Megumi asked.

"A spy," Aoshi answered. "A spy for the Americans."

"A spy for them, yes," Michi said. "But one that was helping us. The last thing the Americans want is to be surrounded on both coast by a power house like Germany."

"I accepted the job here," Abe said, "in order to prevent the revolt. We first heard of it all those years ago," he said looking over at Kaoru. "Your father… he never knew what I was until right before I left. If I had stayed, my true occupation would have become apparent. So I did the only thing I could. Trusted the one man I could with the task of finishing the job.

"But," Abe said sadly, "if I had known what would happen, I would have stayed. He was a brave man, Kaoru, braver than I was. And I can't let the same thing happen to his daughter."

"Kaoru-chan," Michi said. Kaoru looked up at Michi and suddenly knew what was about to be asked. Her eyes almost looked pleadingly at the older woman. "I thought I was strong but… "

"No, she can't go anywhere," Megumi said suddenly, realizing exactly what was about to happen. "She's still too weak from the attack."

"We'll have doctors," Abe replied.

"But you can't ask her to go!" Yahiko said, looking over at Michi. "What about her dojo? What about…" but he trailed off.

Misao looked over at her friend and knew it was pointless to argue. She knew Kaoru and how she thought. She wouldn't refuse.

It was a losing argument but the group still had one hope. But the redheaded rurouni was silent and not looking at any of them.

"Kaoru," Abe said in the silence. "Let me keep my promise to your father."

***

The docks in Yokohama were crowded as people bustled around with activity. Out in the distance, the large ship was anchored, awaiting the last minute travelers. Michi stepped carefully into the boat, helped down by Abe. The two looked up at Kaoru and she held up a finger to ask for time.

Turning back to the assembled group, Kaoru could only feel a pang of regret. There had barely been anytime at all for any of them to understand what was happening. Even Sano hadn't complained on the train ride over.

There was only one thing on their mind as Kaoru turned to say good bye. Why the hell wasn't Kenshin saying anything? They all knew that it would take one word from him and she would stay.

Kaoru shrugged slightly and worded 'not long', holding up six and then nine fingers. Six to nine months. Not too long to be away.

"Shorter," Misao said coming forward and giving her a hug. "We'll help find them and get you home sooner." Kaoru clutched the other girl's hands to say be careful. 

Aoshi bowed slightly, Megumi nodded slightly pretending not to be upset. Sano looked like he was trying to be cool but was failing miserably. Yahiko was trying to stand proud, promising her he would take care of the dojo while she was gone. And Kenshin… Kenshin was just standing silently at the side.

They were wrong. He couldn't say anything to make her stay. Not because she wouldn't listen or wouldn't care. But because he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It wasn't about thinking he was worthless anymore or that this should be some penance for almost letting her get killed.

This was about understanding that Kaoru had finally stepped beyond the young Kendo teacher and was finally among the honorable elite of this country, people who would live and die to keep Japan strong. And it was something he understood to well. It was the reason he had gone to Kyoto, why he would always take a job from the police.

To ask her to stay now would just have been cruel because she still would have had to leave. So he was going to let her go. Let her be swept away again by the water. Sano was right, she had been changing since that day, pulling her farther away from what she had once been, farther away from all of them.

Kaoru stepped down into the boat, no longer looking at the group. She couldn't bare the thought of waiting longer. Her resolve wavered under their words and threatened to break if she stayed any longer. 

She looked up at them as the boat started to pull away, locking eyes finally with Kenshin and realizing that of all of them he understood. Amazing, she finally understood him so completely, why he always fought despite the warnings from Megumi and the dangers to himself. But it was too late now. Maybe when she got back…

"Are you all right?" Michi asked, putting a hand on the young girl's shoulder. Kaoru nodded slightly, trying desperately to push back the tears. Michi tensed watching the emotions play out on Kaoru's face. Abe looked over at her with a shrug. He had warned Michi about this.

Sano sighed. "She'll back soon," he said firmly. "It'll be like she never left." The group slowly turned to leave and didn't realize until they reached the end of the dock that they were one short. 

Kenshin's feet should have moved but he found they were rooted in place, slowly watching the boat slip away. 

Kaoru looked back, watching the dock slowly disappear, hands clenching the kimono she wore.

Abe shook his head sadly and turned to speak with the captain in English.

Michi watched the scene play out and let her hands rest of her stomach. It was easy to order people around, to believe you were in charge. With the power of the Emperor behind her, she could have anything in the world. Its how she got Kaoru involved in the first place. It's how she got the girl to come with her now.

__

"It is my job to understand people."

She had said to Tsugio when he questioned her about bringing in the young Kamiya. But she saw now that she was wrong. She didn't understand or know Kaoru at all. She had just assumed she would be like another loyal retainer, who would follow orders without question or regret.

__

"She's already almost died for you. She won't hesitate to follow you if you ask… no matter what the cost."

But this was a young girl, one with a family, friends and obviously, someone she cared deeply about. And in her selfishness, Michi had never stopped long enough to see that behind the Kamiya name was a girl very much like herself.

Michi's family was made up of people who shared no blood relation, just a common situation that had evolved into a familial bond. And love… Michi knew love. She knew it all too well. It was why she would rather remain as a concubine forever then be another man's wife.

"Stop the boat," Michi said suddenly standing up. "Turn the boat around."

"Are you all right?" Abe asked, moving over as the guards on the boat shifted uneasily. 

Michi turned to Kaoru. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to come. I shouldn't have asked you to help us. You need to go home."

Kaoru blinked in surprise and then her face lit up. She hugged Michi tightly in thanks and turned to Abe as he attempted to communicate the request. But the captain was shaking his head, pointing at the boat and pointing at his watch.

From his spot on the dock, Kenshin watched the sudden burst of activity on the boat. There wasn't any sign of danger but it looked like there was an argument going on. The   
American was yelling, pointing at the concubine and then at the shore.

And then Kaoru turned and locked eyes with him. There was a second pause before she finally moved again, to the side of the boat, then up to the railing and suddenly over into the water.

He was in the water before she even resurfaced. The boat was frantically turning, trying to get to the woman who was now swimming in the water. But she paid it no heed, as she swam back towards the dock.

The water clung to her clothes and her hair had come loose, dancing in the water as she swam. So like the river, Kaoru realized, when it swept her away. Only this time, it wasn't taking her away but home.

The rest of the Kenshin-gumi rushed to the end of the dock, a growing crowd behind them watching the two people trying to reach each other in the choppy waters of the ocean. 

Waves were not about to slow either of them down as they cut through the water. A couple of fishing boats had turned around to help them but the cries of their captains were ignored. 

With one final push, Kaoru and Kenshin finally made contact, first grabbing each other's hands and then enveloping the other in an embrace. They started to sink in the water, completely oblivious to the cheers from the dock.

Beneath the surface of the water, the sounds of the outside world muffled by the sea around them, they finally found their moment of peace with no chance of interruption. And in that moment, they finally succumbed to the months of tension, the seemingly endless waiting and said all that needed to be said without words but a kiss.

But oxygen is one of those things that humans need and eventually they had to break away from the perfect moment and resurface. But it was a new world when they did.

The cheers were all to clear now, not just from the Kenshin-gumi but most of the people around the docks enchanted by the lovers' scene that had just played out. A fishing boat pulled around and the captain helped them inside.

Back on the dock, the Kenshin-gumi celebrated the last second reprise for Kaoru. And the pure joy should have been enough to make anyone happy. But Sano saw his chance to pay back Yahiko for the fish incident in the festival. With the young boy distracted, he pushed him into the water.

Sano laughed as Yahiko resurfaced, yelling at him. Sano leaned forward to help him back up but felt a firm foot on his backside and was suddenly in the water as well.

Megumi cackled, little fox ears popping up at the sight of the sputtering Sano. She would have enjoyed the moment more if she had suddenly felt herself go over the edge and into the water.

Misao smiled with pride, watching the rest of them struggle in the water. She had finally one-upped them all and managed to be the last man standing. And then suddenly she found herself falling into the water.

With a surprised look, she resurfaced and looked up at the dock, wondering who the hell had pushed her in. And from there, Aoshi looked down at her, the slightest smile on his lips.

The fishing boat pulled up to the dock and unloaded the two drenched people just as the rest of the group had finally clambered to dry land. Kaoru was crushed by the group of people who were celebrating her return but it felt so good she didn't even mind.

They heard three horn blows from out in the water. Turning around, the group saw the boat with Michi and Abe slowly pulling away again, the two waving at them from the back of the boat. Misao waved frantically, calling out well wishes while Yahiko tried to outdo her. The rest of the group settled on a polite wave back. 

Kaoru smiled at them as she waved with one hand, the other firmly locked around the hand holding her waist. Looking over at Kenshin she smiled at his happy look and lay her head on his shoulder, letting out a happy little sigh.

From far away, Saitou lit up a cigarette as he turned to the policeman next to him.

"Take a letter," Saitou said, puffing out a cloud of smoke. "Dear sister, I am leaving the children with you while Tokio and I take a vacation in the mountains…" 


End file.
